News Published : Saturday, 9 May, 2026 at 12:00 AM
News Link: A humanitarian sport rises from Cox’s Bazar sands
On the world stage, lifesaving sport is contested with rescue boards, inflatable rescue boats, surf skis and sophisticated timing systems. In Bangladesh, however, the country’s newest sporting discipline is still learning to swim against the tide with little more than bare hands, sea waves and determination.
Yet despite limited technical facilities and a shortage of advanced equipment, a small group of enthusiasts in Cox’s Bazar are attempting to plant the flag of lifesaving sport in Bangladesh.
Introduced in late 2020 by beach lifeguard master trainer Mohammad Saifullah Sifat, the discipline is gradually gathering momentum under Surf Life Saving Bangladesh, which recently gained recognition from the International Life Saving Federation (ILS).
Globally, lifesaving sport grew from practical rescue techniques designed to sharpen the skills of lifeguards and lifesavers. Over time, it evolved into a recognised international competitive discipline blending swimming ability, rescue expertise, endurance, agility and first-aid knowledge.
Now the Bay of Bengal has become Bangladesh’s training ground. Three days a week, around 30 trainees assemble on the beaches of Cox’s Bazar, where shifting tides and rolling surf replace modern infrastructure. Without specialised rescue craft or advanced sporting facilities, the programme currently depends largely on physical conditioning and practical beach drills.
Training activities include beach sprint, beach flags, run-swim-run events, tube rescue exercises and relay drills, disciplines that demand both athletic stamina and split-second judgement.
“We are committed to saving lives in Bangladesh, where drowning is a leading cause of death, by promoting prevention activities and developing essential expertise in lifesaving and lifesaving sports,” organisers said.
The movement is receiving support from the Bangladesh Surfing Association (BSA), whose own activities are centred around Cox’s Bazar. Internationally, surfing and surf lifesaving often move in the same current, sharing close links with ocean safety, rescue awareness and beach culture.
Still, the road ahead remains steep. Unlike established nations in lifesaving sport, Bangladesh currently lacks modern rescue boards, rescue tubes, inflatable rescue boats and other technical equipment commonly seen in international competitions. Organisers admit the programme is surviving more on human effort than logistical strength.
However, they are not throwing in the towel. Surf Life Saving Bangladesh is planning to organise the country’s first national lifesaving competition later this year, likely in July or August. The long-term vision includes forming a national team, participating in international events and eventually hosting overseas competitors on Bangladesh shores.
For now, the whistles are few, the equipment modest and the facilities minimal. But on the endless sands of Cox’s Bazar, a new sporting wave is beginning to break, one carrying not only medals and ambition, but the promise of saving lives.