Crossfire along scenic Marine Drive in Cox's Bazar

While travelling along Marine Drive from Cox’s Bazar to Teknaf, there is the blue sea to the west where fishing trawlers swiftly ride the waves. Red crabs scurry along the sandy beach. The seagulls' cries mingle with the roaring of the sea. And nearby is the jhau (tamarisk) forest, all too often dotted with bullet-ridden bodies.

Residents near the Marine Drive said dead bodies are found there every week, sometimes on the sea beach, on the Marine Drive or nearby. Later it would be said that they died in ‘crossfire’ with the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) or police. The only difference here is that the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) is also involved in crossfire along with RAB and police. There are no reports of death in BGB firing in any of the border areas of the country. It is only in Cox's Bazar that there are reports of casualties in BGB firing.

According to police and human rights activists, 586 people were killed in reported crossfires with different forces after anti-narcotic drives had been launched across the country on 4 May 2018. About half of the deaths took place in Cox’s Bazar. Half of these deaths took place on the Marine Drive and nearby places. Of the total deaths in crossfire across the country, one in every six bodies was found on the Marine Drive.

Conscious citizens and environmentalists in Cox’s Bazar said though the beautiful Marine Drive is a tourist attraction, it is now a road of horror. Nobody travels along the drive after dusk.

Cox’s Bazar police superintendent ABM Masud Hossain acknowledged that dead bodies are found along the Marine Drive. But the number of deaths is not so high, he claimed.

Speaking to Prothom Alo on Saturday, he said it is not an easy task to keep watch on such a vast sea beach. Moreover, the incidents of crossfire did not happen with only police, other forces are also involved. The deaths occurred in gunfights between criminals, the superintendent of police added.

But the police super has no answer as to why so many gunfights take place on the Marine Drive despite 11 check posts of the police, BGB and army along the 84 km road from Cox’s Bazar to Teknaf.

He said the check posts are on the road. How will police deal with gunfights in the surrounding areas, Masud Hossain added.

Cox’s Bazar Roads and Highways Department executive engineer Pintu Chakma said prime minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated this road on 6 May 2017. The road was constructed in about 12 years at a cost of Tk 12 billion. Bangladesh Army implemented the project. This is the largest Marine Drive in the world. The road begins from Kalatali of Cox’s Bazar and ends at Sabrang of Teknaf.

After construction, this road became a tourist attraction. Many tourists would spend time on the Marine Drive till late night. Local residents found people and their families spending the entire night on the Marine Drive. But the scenario changed after Rohingyas started entering Bangladesh from Myanmar. Additional check posts were set up on this road. The scenic road became one of surveillance.

Retired army major Sinha Rashed Khan was shot dead by police at a check post on this road on 31 July. Afterwards the number of check posts was increased and vigilance was intensified further.

Teknaf upazila Rent-a-Car Noah Microbus Owners Cooperative Association general secretary, Mohammad Rafiq, said earlier it took at best one and half hours to reach Cox’s Bazar from Teknaf. Now it takes two to three hours after setting up check posts.

People could not forget the incident of Cox’s Bazar councilor and Jubo League leader Ekramul Haque. He was killed in RAB fire while he was talking with a family member. His wife and children could hear the gunshots. This much discussed crossfire took place in Noakhalipara area of Marine Drive of Teknaf Sadar union on 27 May 2018. The helpless family of Ekramul Haque still sheds tears on the spot of the incident.

There are rows of high and low hills, and natural waterfalls along the Marine Drive. The highest hill range of the country, ‘Tunanganananga’ is in Baharchhara of Teknaf.

There are dense coconut and betel nut groves, and a century-old garjan forest at the foot of the hills. The body of Azizur Rahman, son of Anisur Rahman from Shyamnagar of Hemayetpur in Dhaka’s Savar was found here on 24 August 2018.

RAB identified him as a yaba trader. The body of Imran Hossain killed in police firing was found on Marine Drive on 30 September the same year. Police claimed Imran is a yaba trader on the list of the home ministry.

The recovery of dead bodies on the Marine Drive increased after officer-in-charge Pradip Kumar Das joined in Teknaf. Pradip has been arrested on charges of killing retired army major Sinha.

The incident of death in gunfight first took place on 24 October 2018. The body of Mafiz Alam, 32, was found in the Maheskhaliapara area of Marine Drive. At that time, Pradip said the deceased was a yaba trader.

Korban Ali, Abdul Kader and Abdur Rahman died in reported gunfights with police in Maheskhaliapara beach, at the end of Marine Drive in Teknaf on 25 June 2019.

Saiful Islam and Noor Kamal died in a gunfight with RAB in Shamlapur area of Marine Drive on 12 March this year. Their bodies remained on Marine Drive for long.

Not only gunfights, Marine Drive is being used as the route of yaba smuggling and human trafficking. Yaba and narcotic smugglers have been arrested from this road.

Betel leaf grower Mushtaq Ahmed, 55, a resident of Ukhia’s Sonarpara, said Marine Drive has changed the fate of thousands of people in three years of its construction. Earlier, the price of 40 decimals of land was Tk 2 to 2.5 million. But after the construction of Marine Drive, the same land is Over Tk 10 million. But the development of the locality is halted due to criminal activities.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Cox’s Bazar Development Authority chairman retired lieutenant colonel Forkan Ahmed said the army will manage this road for 15 years. This road will be turned into four lanes instead of two lanes. There are also other establishments. The criminal activities will be stopped if all establishments are constructed, he added.

Forkan Ahmed said people will be able to move throughout the day and night then.

It is learnt Marine Drive passes through six unions. These are Cox’s Bazar’s sadar upazila’s Jhilongja, Ramu’s Khuniapalong, Ukhia’s Jaliapalong, Teknaf’s Baharchhara, Teknaf sadar and Sabrang.

Teknaf upazila parishad chairman Nurul Alam said Marine Drive opened the door of world tourism. The government will build tourist spots at Sabrang beach at the end of Marine Drive. International standard ‘Naf Tourism Park’ is being built at Jaliardia of Naf River.

People no longer feel safe due to the killings and gunfights at Marine Drive. The road becomes empty after dusk.

Save Cox’s Bazar Movement general secretary Ayasur Rahman said the Marine Drive could open a door to world tourism if it could be free from fear. The lifestyle of coastal people is changing because of Marine Drive. The deprived people of the region are seeing economic gains. But gunfights and the dead bodies are destroying everything, Rahman added.

*This report, originally published in Prothom Alo print edition, has been rewritten in English by Rabiul Islam.