SURFING CLUB, COX'S BAZAR, BANGLADESH

The Cox’s Bazar Surfing Club, whose founder is 29 year old Jafar Alam, was founded with the help of an American visitor about 10 years ago.

It now boasts 75 members, including youths and girls. It is both a club for sporting activity, and support for tourists, and a project to empower local, socially disadvantaged youngsters.

Surfing is certainly proving a great equalizer!

It also goes some way to increasing the activities and attractions available at this resort on the world’s longest natural continuous sea beach; 120 km, along most of which the summer can bring excellent surfing conditions, whilst the winter could certainly offer good wind surfing. A sport so far undiscovered.

The surfing to be found here is said to rival the best in Asia.

In September, the Surf Club will organise yet another international challenge, to which over 40 surfers from around the world are already committed to coming.

In fair weather, and in foul, as our pictures show, a group of young enthusiasts can often be found on the beach, when not holed up in the present club premises in town.

When ‘surf’s up’ there’s no doubting where the mostly unemployed youngsters will be, together with any visitors who may be around.

There is, perhaps, nowhere else on earth where the culture of the socially and economically deprived of one of the world’s poorest nations collide so constructively with itinerant adventurers from the most developed nations who are seeking new challenges. When riding the waves, there are no rich or poor, no educated or illiterate, just surfers.

This, surely, is yet another reason for the adventurous to head to this north east corner of the South Asian subcontinent.