Cox’s Bazar sea-beach lifeguard service gets 3-month lifeline
Launched in 2012 and operating as a pilot project since 2014, the service works in shifts to patrol the vast beachfront, often risking lifeguards’ lives to save others. Over the past decade, 782 people have been rescued, though 63 lives were lost despite their efforts. In the past year alone, 78 people were rescued and 11 drowned.
The lifeguard service on Cox's Bazar sea beach is not going to shut down, even though its donor funding runs out at the end of September.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution's (RNLI) current allocation expires on 30 September, but the district administration and the SeaSafe lifeguard organisation have decided the service will keep operating for another three months while they work to secure permanent financing.
During this period, officials plan to reach out to donors, tourism-related businesses and the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism to arrange long-term funding.
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SeaSafe team manager Imtiaz Ahmed said the RNLI support "was set to end on 30 September, which meant lifeguards responsible for tourists' safety were supposed to stop work from 1 October. But after several meetings with the Cox's Bazar district administration, it has been decided to keep the service running normally for another three months."
The district administration will issue a formal letter requesting that operations continue. Using that letter, officials will approach the RNLI to seek an extension of the project or to reallocate funds from another programme. At the same time, following a directive from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, the administration will try to overcome the funding gap by seeking support from hotel, motel and guesthouse owners.
"Originally, the project was scheduled to conclude in December 2024," Imtiaz added. "The deputy commissioner appealed to the RNLI for an extension. The donor first granted six months and later another three, so the funding now runs only until September. SeaSafe currently deploys 27 trained staff and needs about Tk14 lakh a month to operate."
Launched in 2012 and operating as a pilot project since 2014, the service works in shifts to patrol the vast beachfront, often risking lifeguards' lives to save others. Over the past decade, 782 people have been rescued, though 63 lives were lost despite their efforts. In the past year alone, 78 people were rescued and 11 drowned.
According to officials, on 27 August, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism issued two circulars signed by Joint Secretary A K M Moniruzzaman and sent to the Cox's Bazar deputy commissioner, with copies to eight divisions.
One circular noted that every year, especially in coastal areas, tourists often drown or face other accidents because lifeguard services are absent. To ensure safe sea tourism, it directed hotel, motel, guesthouse and resort owners to employ lifeguards and provide them with salaries and benefits as part of responsible tourism operations.
The second circular called for supplying and ensuring the use of life jackets for tourists to strengthen sea-safety measures.
Cox's Bazar Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Md Shahidul Alam said the lifeguard service "will not be shut down and will continue as usual for the next three months. During this time, we will work to raise permanent funds by engaging the donor agency or, as per the ministry's instructions, through discussions with hotel and guesthouse owners."
