The Bangladesh government has adopted a master plan to develop Maheshkhali sub-district through three industrial zones: An energy hub with 13 gigawatts of LNG and coal power plants, a deep-sea port with container and multipurpose terminals, and a special economic zone.The development requires about 37,000 hectares of land across Maheshkhali and Matarbari coastal areas, potentially displacing more than 770,000 residents.A coal power plant and deep-sea terminal have already displaced 20,000 people by acquiring 2,820 acres of land used for salt production, fish farming and shrimp cultivation.The coal power plant and deep-sea terminal have affected more than 90,000 people, leaving many without livelihoods and pushing some to risk illegal migration to East Asia for work.
Eid is usually a day of laughter and joy for most people in Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority nation of 170 million in South Asia. But for Muhammad Gura Miya, it became a day of sadness and mourning after his only son left home on Eid in 2025 and never returned.
Gura Miya, a 65-year-old resident of Maheshkhali sub-district of Bangladesh’s southeastern coastal district Cox’s Bazar, now spends his days in distress over the loss of his son.
