MP warns hotels over allowing minor girls at residential hotels with boyfriends
Member of Parliament for the reserved women's seats, Shamim Ara Swapna, has warned that action will be taken if hotels allow minors to stay. Agamir Somoy.
Shamim Ara Swapna, a member of parliament from a reserved women's seat, has warned that legal action will be taken against the owners and managers of the residential hotels in Cox's Bazar if minor girls are allowed to stay with their alleged boyfriends without a National Identity Card (NID).
The matter of a schoolgirl, Jannatul Tajmin (13), staying in a hotel in Cox's Bazar came into discussion following her death in Cumilla this month. After the recovery of the student's body on October 8, a stir was created across the country. Tajmin was staying at a hotel in Cox's Bazar with her boyfriend Raju under the name "Tanju Akter." Her age was mentioned as 18 years in the hotel's registration book.
Swapna, general secretary of the Cox's Bazar district BNP, was speaking at a views-exchange meeting on ensuring safe tourism organized by the Cox's Bazar district administration on Saturday noon.
At one stage, she said, "The matter of minors staying is one thing when they come with family. But there are allegations that some minor girls are coming and staying with their alleged boyfriends in some hotels. Even if they are not 18 years old, rooms are being rented to them without identity cards. This matter is extremely concerning."
She also remarked that these matters are tarnishing the image of one of the country's most attractive tourist destinations.
District Superintendent of Police A N M Sajedur Rahman said at the meeting that the name of Cox's Bazar has also come into discussion in connection with the Cumilla incident. He said everyone concerned must remain alert so that tourists do not turn away from Cox's Bazar due to negative propaganda.
The meeting, held at the Shaheed Subhash Auditorium of the Cox's Bazar Institute and Public Library, was presided over by Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Abdul Mannan. Member of Parliament for Cox's Bazar-3 constituency Lutfur Rahman Kajal, officials from various government departments including Fire Service and the Department of Environment, and tourism business leaders spoke at the event.
Recent accidents concerning tourist safety also came up for discussion at the meeting. On October 17, 10 tourists died in a fire at TupTup Resort located on the Marine Drive. Four days later, on October 21, five tourists drowned after going into the water at Himchhari beach.
