A legal notice has been served on the government, demanding an immediate halt to what it described as unsafe and high-risk parasailing operations on Cox's Bazar beach, legal action against the operators concerned, and the introduction of a strict regulatory framework for adventure tourism activities.
The notice was sent by Supreme Court lawyer Advocate Nishat Farzana on Tuesday.
It follows the death of a tourist who fell while parasailing at Darianagar beach in the Himchhari area of Cox's Bazar on August 1.
Describing the incident as "extremely tragic and heartbreaking," the notice says it highlights serious lapses in tourist safety and argues that the authorities cannot avoid responsibility for the incident.
According to the notice, several private operators have been conducting parasailing on Cox's Bazar beach without adequate safety measures, trained personnel or standard equipment. It alleges that despite previous accidents, authorities failed to ensure effective monitoring and regulation.
The notice further states that following the latest incident, officials acknowledged that the operator did not have permission to conduct parasailing activities. At the same time, the administration claimed tourist magistrates were on round-the-clock duty and that the incident occurred without their knowledge.
"The continuation of such unauthorised and risky activities despite the administration's responsibility to oversee them demonstrates administrative failure and raises serious concerns about the safety of future tourists," the notice says.
The notice calls for the immediate suspension of all risky parasailing activities in Cox's Bazar, verification of operators' licences, approvals and safety standards, and the formation of an independent committee to investigate the recent accident. It also demands legal action against those responsible, stronger monitoring by tourist police and tourist magistrates, appropriate compensation for the victim's family, and public disclosure of the action taken against Fly Air Sea Sports Parasailing at Dariyanagar. In addition, it urges the government to formulate and strictly enforce international-standard safety guidelines and a comprehensive regulatory framework for all adventure tourism activities, including parasailing.
The notice asks the authorities to take action within 15 working days, warning that legal proceedings will be initiated in the public interest if no action is taken.
