Bangladesh city backtracks on gender-segregated beach after public outcry
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A signboard that reads "Reserved area for women and children as instructed by the district commissioner" at the beach in Cox's Bazar on Wednesday.
COX'S BAZAR (Bangladesh) • The authorities in Bangladesh's main tourist resort have scrapped a dedicated beach section for women and children after a social media outcry over gender segregation.
On Wednesday afternoon, Cox's Bazar officials inaugurated a section of the shoreline on the world's longest natural sea beach as an exclusive zone for women and children.
But hours later, the administration issued a press release saying that it had "withdrawn its decision" after "negative comments".
Mr Abu Sufian, a senior official in Cox's Bazar, told AFP the section had been created following requests from conservative women in the Muslim-majority country.
"They requested a dedicated beach section for themselves, because they felt shy and insecure in a crowded place," he said.
A gang rape of a woman in Cox's Bazar in December sparked an outcry over women's safety in the city. But the beach move caused an uproar, with critics saying it was pandering to hardline Islamists who wield considerable influence in the country.
"This is Talebistan," veteran journalist and commentator Syed Ishtiaque Reza wrote on Facebook, referring to the Taliban in Afghanistan. Another commentator compared it to "Mollahtantra", or a hardline Islamist ideology.
Parts of Bangladesh society remain very conservative, and in recent years, a hardline Islamist group has held massive rallies demanding segregation of the sexes in workplaces and factories.
Hundreds of thousands visit Cox's Bazar during festive periods. To provide security, the authorities have set up a tourism police unit to patrol beach towns.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
