Ten people died and six were injured in today’s blaze.
TBS Report
17 October, 2026, 08:00 pm
Last modified: 17 October, 2026, 08:10 pm
Around 250 establishments along the Cox's Bazar–Teknaf Marine Drive lack required approvals from the Cox's Bazar Development Authority (CoxDA), Fire Service and Department of Environment, raising questions over regulatory oversight after a fire at Tuptup Resort killed 10 people and injured six.
More than 1,000 establishments of various kinds operate along the 80km stretch. Authorities have issued warning notices to hundreds of them, but effective action has not been taken, allowing many to continue operating without the necessary clearances.
The latest case came to light after a fire broke out at Tuptup Resort in the Patuartek area beside Marine Drive around 7am today (17 October), killing 10 tourists and injuring six.
CoxDA Chairman Engineer Mohammad Jasim Uddin said Tuptup Resort did not have the authority's approval despite receiving a notice.
He said the authority had been unable to verify all establishments along Marine Drive because of their large number, and inspections were still under way.
CoxDA has issued notices to around 250 establishments whose compliance status was examined and found deficient. The authority will wait until the deadlines specified in the notices expire before issuing final notices and conducting eviction drives through executive magistrates, he added.
At a press conference in Dhaka, Fire Service Director General Brigadier General Sultanul Afrin said Tuptup Restaurant and Resort did not have a Fire Service licence.
The facility had previously received a warning, but its management had failed to obtain the required approval, he said.
A responsible official at the Cox's Bazar Fire Service Station said more than 200 other establishments had also received warning notices for operating without Fire Service licences.
Instructions to take swift legal action against the establishments arrived from Dhaka on Saturday, the official added.
Khandaker Mahmud Pasha, deputy director of the Department of Environment's Cox's Bazar office, said around 250 establishments along Marine Drive, including Tuptup Resort, lacked environmental clearance.
Legal action was being taken against them, he said.
Regulatory oversight under scrutiny
The absence of required approvals at establishments involved in a fatal incident has prompted questions about the responsibilities of the relevant authorities.
Belal Abedin, member secretary of Cox's Bazar Nagorik Andolon, said tourist safety was essential for tourism development.
"The CoxDA, Department of Environment and Fire Service cannot evade responsibility by saying that this establishment and others lack the required approvals after 10 people have died in a devastating fire," he said.