Abul Manjur Md Sadek

The night of November 10. I was sitting in a restaurant by the sea in Cox's Bazar as the the Hon'ble Prime Minister will inaugurate a 565-m long bridge over the Bankkhali river with Cox's Bazar tourist town built along with Cox's Bazar railway line, iconic railway station, deep sea port channel at Matarbari, coal power plant and development projects of Local Government Engineering Department ( LGED) on November 11, 2023.

Along with this, about 15 more projects and schemes were inaugurated by LGED and other departments of the government and foundation stones on many projects were laid on the occassion.

Many senior government officials associated with the inauguration ceremony were present in Cox's Bazar. Many of them have come to this restaurant built beside the sea. Some of my colleagues also came with me.

This restaurant arranged a cultural function and they brought some singers. As middle-aged people look more, the singers rendered songs of lost days.

Progressively moving from songs of lost days to modern songs. One requested a regional song. The singer went back to the song 'Ore sampan wala, Bukhi bhuu bandhi raikhum toare'. 'Ore Neel Dariya, Sagar Tir Tei Misti Kuk Hawa Ene' - He started singing the famous Bengali movie songs about the sea.

I keep drowning in memories. Floating, reminiscing again.

I grew up in Baharchhara village by the sea. Father was the superintendent of Primary Teacher Trsining Institute ( PTI) . I used to live in a government house near the sea shore. There were several one-story tourist cottages within walking distance of two yards from the house. Four hundred yards walk to the old Hotel Simon. Now there are multi-storied buildings. I used to see Sue while fetching bread and biscuits from Simon's bakery. The big road next to the house was 'Motel Road'.

Picnic buses and Mike's songs during winters on Motel Road remained a large part of childhood. In the seventies and eighties there were very few hotels and motels. Tourists from various schools and colleges used to spend the night on the benches of the school and college of Cox's Bazar. He used to bring the market-cook, Haripatil. Having come so much, yet trying to wash away all the costs in the sea water and soak them inside and out with the foam of the sea.

At the inauguration ceremony of the railway line project the honourable Prime Minister told the story of his youth about Cox's Bazar. When Bangabandhu was out of jail, he tried to come to Cox's Bazar with his family. In 1961, Prime Minister came to Cox's Bazar for the first time with Bangabandhu. Lived in a 'motel', there was a kitchen with the motel. They used to cook and eat themselves. After 61, Bangabandhu visited his father a few more times during his free time in prison. Cox's Bazar has a big place in the memory of the Prime Minister.

Added to this is passion and his unquenchable desire to transform the country into an international, smart Bangladesh by harnessing the immense potential of Cox's Bazar.

Cox's Bazar has changed by the hands of the honourable Prime Minister. One of the realization of Prime Minister's dream has started with Marine Drive in Cox's Bazar. In the seventies and eighties, suiting parties and adventurous tourists traveled to Himchari, Inani in open jeeps. Marine drive project started from 90's

However, progress has repeatedly stalled. After coming to the government in 1996 and later from 2009 to 2016 with the strong will of the Prime Minister, the work of Marine Drive was completed.

While inaugurating the projects, the Prime Minister said, 'There may be long beaches in the world but there are no more 80 miles long sandy beaches. The entire length of the beach is enjoyable, a rare beach in the world. I also visited long beaches in Japan. But it was not easy to go down because of clay beach. The same is true in the Netherlands. Spain, Portugal have sandy beaches but not so long.

Such a world-famous beach is 'Belabhumi'. What is the easiest way to expose to the world? Under the initiative of Prime Minister, the airport has been expanded and internationalized. That dream of touching the sea and landing the plane will be realized soon. Reclaiming a portion of the sea, the construction of the runway is progressing rapidly. For a long time, I thought when I saw the island of Bali - we can't do the same!

China's misery such as Huangho, Cox's Bazar's misery Chittagong-Cox's Bazar road. In 1981, I enrolled in Chittagong Collegiate School and left home. Chittagong-Cox's Bazar road did not bring relief since childhood. The country is progressing - but the communication system of Cox's Bazar is not progressing, this is a long-standing grief of the people of Cox's Bazar. Earlier this year, I was tragically injured in a terrible accident on this road. Many people like me are constantly having accidents on this road.

But the British planned to build a railway line with Cox's Bazar in 1890. It was planned again during the Pakistan period but it did not work. Overcoming the failures of the past 133 years, the Honorable Prime Minister will take the reins with a firm hand and look down to the iconic railway station in Rekale till Cox's Bazar, with an oyster standing in front of him. Not only Cox's Bazar, railways have been expanded in the last 15 years almost all over the country. Only Barisal is left.

The city of Cox's Bazar was a town with a road running east-west. Hills to the south, Bankkhali River to the north. This city has grown day by day. The population has increased manifold. There is a bypass road. Settlements have become denser. But the city did not expand. LGED constructed the Hon'ble Pradhanmati bridge. Its design was also approved by Hon'ble Prime Minister himself. The construction of this bridge near the mouth of the sea has been very challenging. LGED has crossed these chapters with the inspiration of Hon'ble Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister's personal relationship with the Japanese government is very good. I have visited Japan and JICA HQ several times in 2009 for a two-month training and later on government work. The unique global presence of the Hon'ble Prime Minister is easily understood in Japan and JICA headquarters. JICA has now started JICA's city governance project in Matakoxbazar Municipality. It is being implemented by the LGED and the municipality. The city will change with Cox's Bazar's waste management.

I often wonder how the country has changed in the last fifteen years! It is as if we have passed many lives in one life and the honorable Prime Minister is blooming the flowers of hope in the lives of crores of people in one life. Giving us the courage to dream. Digital Bangladesh, Middle Income Country, Developed Country-Smart Bangladesh, Sonar Bangla. Live our dreams.

Bestow good life and endless vitality to the kind honorable prime minister - this is my wish forever and ever.

The writer is a Project Director, Greater Chittagong Rural Infrastructure Development Project-3, LGED