Dhaka, Aug. 30 -- The Bangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) has expressed deep concern and strong protest over the construction of a coastal road in Cox's Bazar that it says is damaging beach dunes and the coastal environment, and has demanded an immediate halt to the ongoing work.

In a press release issued Sunday, BIP said the road, being built from Sugandha Point to Hotel Saimon under the Cox's Bazar Municipality's Urban Development and Governance Project with JICA funding, is destroying sand dunes that serve as a natural shield against waves, storms, tidal surges and coastal erosion.

The dunes, coastal vegetation and natural sand layers are not merely aesthetic features of the beach but critical habitats for coastal biodiversity, th...