Cox’s Bazar Carnival targets foreign tourists

The Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation is organising a three-month tourism carnival in Cox’s Bazar from 1 November to 31 January next year, aiming to attract more foreign tourists and offer visitors a wider range of activities beyond the beach.

The Cox’s Bazar Tourism Carnival 2026, the first three-month event of its kind in the country’s premier tourism destination, will be held at the beach and surrounding areas of Hotel Shaibal, said Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation Chairman Md Shamimuzzaman at a media briefing at Parjatan Bhaban in Agargaon on Wednesday.

The carnival will be organised by the Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation and managed by Spellbound Communications Ltd.

According to the organisers, Cox’s Bazar has seen an increase in tourist arrivals throughout the year in recent years, but the number of foreign visitors has not increased significantly.

They said visitors often complain about limited entertainment and recreational activities after spending time at the beach, particularly in the evening. The carnival will seek to address the gap by offering various activities during the day and at night.

The event will feature food, market and craft, wellness, children’s and camping zones. The food zone will offer local and international cuisine, live food stalls, barbecues, ice cream and juice, while the market and craft village will showcase clothing, jewellery, pottery and locally made handicrafts.

The wellness zone will offer yoga and meditation at sunrise, while the children’s zone will feature art activities, rides and other entertainment.

The camping zone will offer overnight camping, an open-air library, self-barbecue facilities, hammocks, campfires and stargazing through telescopes.

Other activities will include live art and photography exhibitions, an open-air cinema, a VR zone, a circus tent, kayaking, live busking, go-karting and beach sports such as football, handball, volleyball, kabaddi and badminton. Sand sculptures will also be displayed.

The programme will include celebrations marking Victory Day, Christmas and New Year.

A beach-view open theatre will host the “Wave of Music” programme, featuring live music against the backdrop of the sea and sunset.

Speaking at the briefing, Shamimuzzaman said the carnival was aimed at presenting Cox’s Bazar in a more diverse way to domestic and foreign visitors, with particular emphasis on increasing foreign tourist arrivals.

He said the three-month programme would allow visitors to enjoy a range of sports, entertainment and cultural activities alongside the beach.

The event was also expected to create local employment and contribute to the socio-economic development of the area, he added.

Md Goni-ul Azam, director of the Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, who chaired the briefing, said the organisers wanted to add a new dimension to the tourism experience in Cox’s Bazar.

“The sea, sunset and casuarina forest will remain, but food, music, sports, culture, creativity, adventure and family entertainment will be added to the experience,” he said.

Spellbound Communications Chief Executive Officer Mohammad Sadequl Arefeen presented an outline of the carnival at the briefing.

Officials of the Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation and representatives of Spellbound Communications were present.