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Authorities at one of Bangladesh’s most popular tourist resorts have canceled a separate beach area for female tourists and children only, following outrage and ridicule on social media about gender differentiation, officials said.
Cox’s Bazar officials had just inaugurated on Thursday the section dedicated solely to female beachgoers with children on one of the world’s longest natural beaches.
But a day later the administration said at a news conference that it had “withdrawn its decision from negative comments”.
Abu Sufian, a senior Cox’s Bazar’s official, told AFP that the split was created at the request of conservative women in the Muslim-majority country.
“They had asked for a separate section for themselves as they felt ashamed or insecure in crowded places.”
Earlier this month the rape of a woman in Cox’s Bazar had brought anger and insecurity to women in the city.
But the cordon splitting of the beach caused a stir on social media as critics said there was obedience to Islamic conservatives in the country.
Some parts of Bangladeshi society still remain very conservative and in recent years Islamist groups have staged protests demanding respect for their rights.
Thousands of people visit the Cox’s Bazaar resort during the festive periods and in recent years the sector has seen significant growth.
In order to provide the necessary security to the growing tourists, the motorists have created a “tourist police” that patrols the coastal towns.
Agence France-Presse
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