Muazzem Hossain Shakil :
While natural gas from Sangu Gas Field at Kutubdia flows to millions in Chittagong, Feni and other parts of the country, the people of Cox's Bazar, next door from the field, cry for gas in their houses and businesses.
Over 30,000 consumers have been longing for gas connection for Cox's Bazar, which has remained deprived despite local availability of gas.
Politicians irrespective of party, businessmen and common people said the government has ignored their demand for gas. They said Cox's Bazar is the largest tourist spot in the country having top hotels, restaurants and over millions of visitors. No initiative has been taken so far to extend the facility to Cox's Bazar, they said.

Muazzem Hossain Shakil:
A huge quantity of dry fish get damaged here every year due to lack of storage facilities in Moheshkhali, Cox's Bazar and Teknaf, the three main hubs of dry fish trading. As a result, dry fish traders are incurring a huge loss every year.
Thousands of people in Najirartak, Sonadiya, Dhalgata, Matarbari and Khutobdiya villages earn a living by drying sea fish.
'We don't have a single cold storage at Moheshkhali, Cox's Bazar and Teknaf. The government should come forward immediately to set up cold storage to help our dry fish trade', said Abul Hashem, a dry fish trader.
'We face a serious problem when we stock a large quantity of dry fish. When naturally preserved, insects attack dry fishes most often. So, we are badly in need of cold storage', he said.
'Dry fish sector is yet to get any help and support from the government though it is struggling to flourish against all odds,' Hashem said.
'If the government provide us proper support, it will be easy to export dry fish to more countries in large quantity fetching huge foreign currency', he said.

Muazzem Hossain Shakil:
Work for development of resorts and tourist facilities in Saint Martin's Island, the only coral-bearing island in Bangladesh, is going on at a snail's pace, giving rise to concern among local people. Located on the southern-most tip of the country, the island has immense prospect to become a special tourist zone. Entrepreneurs and nature-loving people have already either purchased or leased around three-fourths of its total land to develop tourist facilities, sources said.
The local people, who are mainly farmers and fishermen, thought development of tourism would create employment opportunities for them, but they have become frustrated as work for construction of resorts or other facilities has not started on most plots.
The offshore island, located some 32 km away from Teknaf Sadar Upazila, has an area of around 416 acres for about 5,500 inhabitants.
Most of the poor islanders living hand-to-mouth sold or leased out some 300 acres of cultivable land