In 1773, Captain Hiram Cox, a member of the British East India Company, was appointed as the Superintendent of Palonki (now known as Cox's Bazar). Cox was deployed to handle the conflict between the Arakan refugees and local Rakhains at Palonki. Captain Cox made tremendous progress in rehabilitation of the refugees but died before he completed his task. In honor of Captain Cox, Palonki was renamed Cox's Bazar, meaning "Cox's Market."
The greater Chittagong area including Cox's Bazar was under the rule of Arakan Kings from the early 9th century till its conquest by the Mughals in 1666 AD. When the Mughal Prince Shah Shuja was passing through the hilly terrain of the present day Cox’s Bazar on his way to Arakan, he was attracted to the scenic and captivating beauty of the place. He commanded his forces to camp there. His retinue of one thousand palanquins stopped there for some time. A place named Dulahazara, meaning "one thousand palanquins", still exists in the area. After the Mughals, the place came under the control of the Tipras and the Arakanese, followed by the Portuguese and then the British.
The major source of economy of Cox's Bazar district is tourism. Millions of foreign and Bangladeshi natives visit this coastal city every year. A number of hotels, guest houses, and motels have been built in the city and coastal region and the hospitality industry is a major employer in the area. A number of peoples are also involved in the fishing and collecting seafoods and sea products for their livelihood. Oysters, snails, searls and jewelry made from them are very popular to tourists in the seaside and city stores. A number of peoples are also involved in the transportation business for tourists. Many people of this district are farmers.
In 2002, a surfing club was initiated at Cox's Bazar by a local Bangladeshi. It has now extended to hold an annual competition including locals and foreign tourists. This is the first surfing initiative in Bangladesh's history.
Cox's Bazar is a town, a fishing port and district headquarters in Bangladesh. It is known for its wide sandy beach which, believed to be the world's longest natural sandy sea beach.It is an unbroken 125 km sandy sea beach with a gentle slope. It is located 150 km south of Chittagong.
Cox's Bazar is a town, a fishing port and district headquarters in Bangladesh. It is known for its wide sandy beach which, believed to be the world's longest natural sandy sea beach.It is an unbroken 125 km sandy sea beach with a gentle slope. It is located 150 km south of Chittagong.
