Bashbaria Sea Beach (বাঁশবাড়িয়া সমুদ্র সৈকত)

The beach lies in Sitakunda upazila, about 9 kilometres from Sitakunda town. The turn off is at Bashbaria Bazar on the Dhaka to Chattogram highway, and a narrow paved road from the bazar reaches the shore in around 15 minutes.

The best known sight is a small bridge that runs out from the shore over the water, which visitors walk along for views of the coast. It turned a little known shoreline into a popular day trip from Chattogram.

Open mudflats surround the bridge. Since March 2025 a ferry service to Sandwip has also run from Banshbaria. Picnic groups use the flatter ground, and speedboats offer short rides around the area. Afternoons are the popular time for sunset.

In winter, local sellers offer fresh date palm juice in the morning. Small food shops open near the shore on busy days, but full meals are easier to find in Sitakunda bazar. The area can be combined with Guliakhali beach, Sitakunda Eco Park, Chandranath temple and the falls of the Sitakunda hills for a longer trip.

There is no entry fee. Buses and tempos from Alankar or AK Khan in Chattogram run to Bashbaria Bazar, and shared or reserved CNGs cover the last stretch. Leave before evening, as CNGs back to the highway become hard to find. Two to three hours is enough, ideally ending with the sunset.

Kashem Raja, the 2017 bridge and online fame

The shoreline at Banshbaria runs for about 5 kilometres. A local leader, Kashem Raja, began promoting it to visitors in 2009, and the small bridge was built in 2017, the same year students from the University of Chittagong shared photos and videos online and day trippers started arriving in numbers.

The Sandwip ferry has changed the beach. The service, run by the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority, started on 24 March 2025, and a 700 metre approach road was laid across the shore for vehicles. The passenger fare has been about Tk 10, with separate vehicle charges. Speedboats make the crossing to Sandwip in about 20 to 25 minutes at a higher price. Ferry times depend on the tide, so ask at the ghat if you want to watch a sailing or cross to the island.

Drownings and the swimming risk

Swimming here is risky, and the beach has a record of accidents. Two students went missing in June 2018 and three members of one family in July 2018, and the district administration declared the beach restricted after those deaths, although the order has not been strictly enforced. Accidents happen almost every year. Keep to the bridge and the firm ground near it, stay off the mud when the tide is coming in, and keep children close.