Almost all tourists left the coastal district of Cox’s Bazar and its islands, well ahead of the met office’s warnings of Cyclone Mahasen.
“No tourists were stranded,” said Nurul Amin, chairman of Saint Martin’s Island Union Parishad on Wednesday. “Some ‘outsiders’ who run hotels in the island were staying on the island,” he said.
“Two and three-storey buildings at the island were readied so that locals can take shelter,” he added.
Meanwhile, residents of eight upazilas of the district, which are at seaside and considered highly vulnerable to storm surges – Kutubdia, Moheshkhali, Pekua, Sadar Upazila, Ukhiya and Teknaf – were taken to safety as well.
Local administrations across the district were asked to apply force, if necessary, to take people unwilling to leave.
“Moving people from the coastal areas to higher grounds is nearing end. The administration began the evacuation process soon after cautionary signal number seven was issued,” said Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner Md Ruhul Amin yesterday evening.
“If people from other regions refuse to leave, we would be compelled to evacuate them by forceful means,” the DC said.
In the isolated island of Kutubdia, people were requested to immediately move to higher grounds. “We have provided them with necessary assistance they need to arrive at shelter homes,” said the upazila UNO Firoz Ahmed.
Moheshkhali UNO Anowarul Nashed also confirmed evacuation of people from low-lying areas.
Authorities ordered local market committees of the two areas to store dry foods at grocery shops that might be needed in an event of emergency.