Fishing boats add a splash of colour to the Marine Drive

If you have ever travelled along Marine Drive, what are the things that you cannot forget, things that amazed you and made your journey special? It might be difficult to choose, because there is so much awesome beauty on the way.

The 85 km, two-lane Marine Drive that runs between the sea and the hills has mind-blowing natural scenery to please the eye. Starting from Kolatoli, Cox’s Bazar, the drive ends up at the estuary of Naf River in Shah Porir Dwip, Teknaf. The long stretch of emerald hills also starts from Kolatoli and ends in Teknaf, so all along the way you see hills on the left and the longest uninterrupted natural beach of the world on the right.

The wooden fishing boats along the way as you go down Marine Drive are eye-catching in their riot of colour. Their shape, colours and the way they are docked on the beach are really interesting.

These locally made boats are a heritage of the area. They are seen at almost every tourist point at the big hotels in Cox’s Bazar, displayed as a symbol of iconic local heritage where tourists are often seen taking photos. Locally these boats are called ‘nao’. The word ‘boat’ is also used. As fishing is a big business of the local people along the Marine Drive, the livelihood of most people is associated with these boats. Though some old fishermen say that once these boats were sailed and also rowed with oars, most of these boats are now motorised.

The shape of the boats is exclusive and unique. There are hubs of fishing boats in other places of the country like Kutubdia, Moheshkhali, Chakaria, Banshkhali, Chattogram, Noakhali, Chandpur and so on but their shape and size are not like those seen along the Marine Drive. These boats are sharp and smaller in size, aesthetically designed and colorfully painted. Normally they are 10-14 feet in length and 6-8 feet in width.

Unlike other fishing trawlers in the country, there is no difference between the sharp rising heads at the bow and stern of the boats. Both spikes are slightly bent, much like English alphabet C. Traditional sampans of Chittagong which are almost extinct, are shallow and have three bows or heads: one at the bow and two at the stern. And other fishing trawlers in the country have one head but in case of these boats, there are two same-looking spikes, making it difficult to identify which part is stern and which one is bow. While all other fishing boats in the country are normally black, these boats are colorful.

It is said that culture of a particular place is largely shaped by its geography that mostly includes landscape, climate, and natural resources. The style of the boats has much to do with the waterways and usage. The stylish shape and beautiful features of the boats are not just the reflection of the local people’s artistic sense but also have geographical implications.

Abdul Based, a local youth and a development worker from Teknaf, says these boats are created this way because of the strong waves that they need to withstand on the sea and they do not go on long fishing trips but mostly for a few hours, or one day at the most, unlike other fishing boats in the country that go for weeks and months on sea.

I have been travelling through Marine Drive for quite some years and yet I am never tired of seeing the breathtaking natural beauties along the way. There are many other mentionable attractions along the both sides of the drive such as high sea waves, the sandy beach with coral at many points, the refreshing sea breeze, the sparkling water of Bay of Bengal, rows of jau trees, the blue sky meeting the blue sea, the stunning sunset, emerald hills meeting the aqua sea, waterfalls, the confluence of the sea and the river, rows of betel-nut trees and betel leaf (paan) plantations, green fields and villages, sea fish hung up to dry and so much more.

There are also tourist spots with restaurants, parks, parasailing points and hotels. Another interesting thing seen along the drive is the big signboards with names of land owners. Most of the land along the Marine Drive has been bought up by individuals, companies and multi-national corporations like McDonald’s.

In Cox’s Bazar, Kolatoli, Suganda and Laboni beach points often remain crowded. So to see the colorful boats and enjoy a more secluded and refreshing beach, you should go to the Marine Drive. To the ones visiting for the first time, Marine Drive will be incredibly thrilling and seem to be an unending road.

* Parvez Uddin Chowdhury is a development worker and independent researcher. Email: p.uddinchy@gmail.com