Dhaka: Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam on Thursday emphasized the necessity of setting up dedicated health centres at major sea beaches to assist in saving the lives of tourists during emergencies. She articulated these points during a meeting with representatives from the Centre for Injury Prevention and Research, Bangladesh (CIPRB), and donor agency Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) at the ministry.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the minister highlighted the importance of amending relevant policies to ensure the safety of tourists. She instructed the deputy commissioners of Cox’s Bazar and Patuakhali to promptly send proposals to the ministry for the construction of health centres at the sea beaches in these areas.
State Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat expressed plans to increase the number of Tourist Police personnel to enhance tourist safety. He also stressed the need to boost the number of lifeguard workers, suggesting that corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds could initially be used to sustain the lifeguard service. Millat noted that permanent infrastructure should be developed to meet future needs.
The meeting was attended by Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Fahmida Akhtar and senior officials from the Bangladesh Tourism Corporation and the ministry. The UK-based donor agency RNLI has been financially supporting CIPRB in operating lifeguard services at Cox’s Bazar sea beach since 2012.