Shamimuzzaman said the three-month event would allow tourists to enjoy the sea while taking part in sports and entertainment programmes during both day and night.
BPC Chairman Md Shamimuzzaman announced the carnival at a media briefing. Photo: Courtesy
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BPC Chairman Md Shamimuzzaman announced the carnival at a media briefing. Photo: Courtesy
Cox’s Bazar will host its first three-month-long tourism carnival from 1 November, featuring food, entertainment, sports, cultural programmes and adventure activities to make the country’s premier beach destination more attractive to tourists.
BPC Chairman Md Shamimuzzaman announced the carnival at a media briefing at the Tourism Bhaban in Agargaon, Dhaka, today (7 October).
The Cox’s Bazar Tourism Carnival 2026, organised by Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC), will continue until 31 January 2027 at the Hotel Shaibal premises near the beach. Spellbound Communications Limited will manage the event.
BPC Chairman Md Shamimuzzaman said the carnival aimed to present Cox’s Bazar as a more diverse and attractive destination, particularly to increase the number of foreign tourists.
“Cox’s Bazar is the country’s leading tourism destination, but tourists often say that after enjoying the sea beach, there is little else to do,” he said.
The carnival will seek to address this gap by offering activities throughout the day and night.
The event will feature food zones offering local and international cuisine, live food stalls, barbecue, ice cream and juice. A market zone and craft village will showcase clothing, jewellery, pottery and handicrafts made by local artisans.
A wellness zone will offer sunrise exercise and meditation, while a kids’ zone will feature art activities, safe rides and other entertainment.
The carnival will also have a camping zone with overnight camping, an open-air library, self-barbecue facilities, hammocks, campfires and telescopes for stargazing.
Other attractions will include live art and photography galleries, an open-air cinema, a virtual reality zone, a circus tent, kayaking, live busking and go-karting.
Visitors will also be able to take part in beach football, handball, volleyball, kabaddi and badminton, as well as sand sculpting.
Special programmes will be arranged to mark Victory Day, Christmas and the English New Year. A music programme titled “Wave of Music” will be held on an open stage facing the beach.
Shamimuzzaman said the three-month event would allow tourists to enjoy the sea while taking part in sports and entertainment programmes during both day and night.
He also expressed hope that the carnival would create local employment and improve the socioeconomic conditions of the area.
“We want to rebrand Cox’s Bazar as a vibrant, diverse, safe, sustainable and international-standard tourism destination,” he said.
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