Even a few years ago tourists did not dare to go to the beach in Cox's Bazar late at night, but the scenario has changed after Tourist Police started their operation in the district.

Rashed Haider and his wife from Savar said they visited the beach a couple of years ago but did not visit the beach at night out of fear. “But this time we knew those days are gone. We went to the beach around 8:30pm on Tuesday and found Tourist Police patrolling there which boosted our sense of security further,” Rashed told The Daily Star.

Rafiuzzaman, the first vice-president of Tours Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB), said tourists are not harassed by hawkers or mugged by criminals in Cox's Bazar anymore. Besides, nuisance by hawkers and photographers has largely diminished as the Tourist Police have been motivating them.

He added the Tourist Police are on guard round the clock in and around the beach and keep watch on tourists in case of any possible danger.

The TOAB official suggested that the members of the Tourist Police should be trained up so that they acquire knowledge on modern tourism and behave accordingly with the tourists.

The owners of shops and markets along the longest beach in the world

have also been motivated not to throw garbage here and there.

The Tourist Police came into being as a specialised unit on November 6, 2013 with a view to developing an internal tourism industry and ensuring proper security for tourists, especially foreigners.

The special unit started functioning on December 31 the same year.

Now the unit has a 699-strong force headed by a deputy inspector general with its headquarters at a rented building in the capital's Banasree area. A proposal for recruitment of another 694 members is awaiting approval from the finance ministry. 

The force is now in operation in Dhaka, Kuakata, Sylhet, Chittagong and Cox's Bazar zones and Moulvibazar, Teknaf, Bandarban and Rangamati subzones under Dhaka and Chittagong divisions.

Once the proposed manpower is recruited, it will establish two more divisions -- Rajshahi/Rangpur and Khulna/Barisal.

A number of Tourist Police officials said they are now facing some logistics and accommodation problems. In Cox's Bazar the barrack where their personnel live is eight kilometres off the beach.

There is also vehicle shortage and it is often difficult for the force to travel between the barrack and duty areas, said a top official wishing anonymity.

The specialised unit has seven jeeps, 11 double cabin pick-up vans, one minibus, two trucks, 28 motorcycles, three water bikes and three speedboats.

Rafiuzzaman said services of the Tourist Police are not yet up to the international standards. Members of the force need necessary training on tourism and how to deal with the tourists, he observed.

He also suggested allocating the tourist policemen special allowances as living cost in the tourist spots is usually very high.

Taufiq Rahman, chief executive of Journey Plus, said, “Initially we were hesitant about the force, but now it seems its formation was a positive step. They have already done a good job and are trying their level best to do better.”

“Operation of the Tourist Police is quite different from the general force. So, they are being trained up about how they should deal with the tourists and how to change their attitudes,” said Sarder Nurul Amin, Superintendent of Police (Admin, Finance and Logistics) of the Tourist Police.