Volunteers have started cleanliness efforts at Kuakata seabeach, one of Bangladesh's major tourist destinations, after tourists who visited the spot complained that the beach remains dirty throughout the year.
They began the cleanliness drive on Thursday along more than half a kilometre west of the beach's Zero Point. The 18-kilometre-long seabeach is located on the bank of the Bay of Bengal in the southern Patuakhali district.
The beach is known as Sagor Konya, or Daughter of the Sea. It is one of the top tourist attractions in Bangladesh, from where sunrise and sunset can be seen over the sea. However, due to pollution, uncontrolled tourism, and other issues, Kuakata Beach is losing its beauty.
As the cleanup drive began, the volunteers delivered messages on maintaining cleanliness. They put up banners featuring slogans on a clean beach and set up bins along the seaside, urging everyone not to pollute the beach area.
Groups such as the Tourist Police (Kuakata Zone), the Tour Operators Association of Kuakata (TOAK), the volunteer organization "Dhumketu," the Coastal Environment Protection Movement (Kuakata), and "Animal Lovers of Patuakhali" supported the efforts.
Nearly 100 volunteers participated in the beach cleanliness efforts. 
Volunteers began beach cleaning in Kuakata - Photo by Anisur Rahman
A discussion meeting was also organized on the occasion.
Yasin Sadek, Administrator of the Kuakata Municipality; Asaduzzaman Miraj, Secretary General of the Tour Operators Association of Kuakata (TOAK); KM Bachchu, Convener of the Coastal Environment Protection Movement, Kuakata, Neshar Uddin Howlader, Member Secretary of the Kuakata Municipal Chhatra Dal; and Shamim Reza, General Secretary of the Kuakata Tour Guide Association, among others, addressed the discussion.
"Kuakata is our asset and our pride. Thousands of tourists visit the spot every day. The indiscriminate littering on the beach is damaging both the environment and its natural beauty," said KM Bachchu.
"We must encourage tourists and business owners to maintain cleanliness. Everyone must play a responsible role in keeping Kuakata beautiful," he said.
Nesar Uddin Howlader said the youth must step forward to help build a clean Kuakata.
"This shouldn't just be a one-day effort; we need to foster a habit of keeping the beach clean regularly and ensuring that waste is disposed of only in designated areas."
"We must all work together to transform Kuakata into an international-standard beach, and maintaining a clean environment is a crucial part of that," said Lovana Jamil, Assistant Director of the Department of Environment (DoE), Patuakhali.
She noted that the department organized a cleanup drive at Kuakata Beach today.
Yasin Sadek said the municipality is taking initiatives to develop Kuakata into a clean and tourist-friendly town.
However, this cannot be achieved by the municipality alone. A "clean Kuakata" can only be realized through the collective efforts of local residents, business owners, tourists, and voluntary organizations.
