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Authorities at one of Bangladesh’s most popular tourist resorts have canceled a separate beach area for female tourists and children only, following outrage and ridicule on social media about gender differentiation, officials said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Cox’s Bazar officials had just inaugurated on Thursday the section dedicated solely to female beachgoers with children on one of the world’s longest natural beaches.<\/p>\n
But a day later the administration said at a news conference that it had “withdrawn its decision from negative comments”.<\/p>\n
Abu Sufian, a senior Cox’s Bazar’s official, told AFP that the split was created at the request of conservative women in the Muslim-majority country.<\/p>\n
“They had asked for a separate section for themselves as they felt ashamed or insecure in crowded places.”<\/p>\n
Earlier this month the rape of a woman in Cox\u2019s Bazar had brought anger and insecurity to women in the city.<\/p>\n
But the cordon splitting of the beach caused a stir on social media as critics said there was obedience to Islamic conservatives in the country.<\/p>\n
Some parts of Bangladeshi society still remain very conservative and in recent years Islamist groups have staged protests demanding respect for their rights.<\/p>\n
Thousands of people visit the Cox’s Bazaar resort during the festive periods and in recent years the sector has seen significant growth.<\/p>\n
In order to provide the necessary security to the growing tourists, the motorists have created a “tourist police” that patrols the coastal towns.<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse<\/p>\n
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