Kuakata empty of tourists on Valentine's Day

Kuakata Sea Beach nearly empty on Saturday 14 Feb 2026.

Patuakhali: While the sea beach of Kuakata, the tourist center of Patuakhali, is full of tourists every year on Valentine's Day, the picture is completely different this year. Due to the significant decrease in the presence of tourists, silence and stillness have descended on the 22-kilometer long beach.

This situation has been prevailing for almost two weeks in a row, centered on the 13th National Parliament elections. Tourism-dependent businesses have been the most affected. Many entrepreneurs in hotels, restaurants and other service sectors have faced financial crisis due to the lack of expected guests.

Meanwhile, a number of tourists have arrived in Kuakata since Saturday morning. They are enjoying themselves by floating their body in the salty water of the sea. Some are visiting various tourist attractions, while many are walking barefoot from one end of the beach to the other and enjoying the natural beauty. Tourist police are on the alert to avoid any untoward incident.

Beach umbrella bench trader Md. Yasin said, "There have been no tourists in Kuakata for the past two weeks due to the elections."

Tourist couple Shamim and Rubina from Dhaka said, "We rushed to Kuakata yesterday after voting in the elections, for Valentine's Day. When we arrived, we saw that there were no tourists."

Kuakata Hotel Motel Owners Association President Abdul Motaleb Sharif said, "There are not many tourists due to the elections, and the number will decrease further due to Ramadan. This year, Kuakata tourism traders have suffered losses due to the political reality of the country. We hope that the situation will improve with political stability."

Tour Operators Association (TOAC) representative Abul Hossain Raju said, "We hope that everything will be normal in the country after the newly elected government takes charge of the state. He also hopes that the newly elected government will have a special focus on the development of Kuakata and maintaining a safe and tourist-friendly environment."

Kuakata Municipality Administrator and Assistant Commissioner (Land) Md. Yasin Sadek said, 'Kuakata Municipality is making efforts along with the law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety of tourists.' - Gofran Palash