History & Background
Kuakata takes its name from a freshwater well ("kua") dug by Rakhine refugees who fled Arakan (present-day Myanmar) in the late 18th century and settled here under the protection of a local zamindar. Their descendants, along with the Buddhist Rakhine community and their historic Keranipara Buddhist temple, still live in the area today. The beach's flat, wide, and gently curving shoreline is one of the few places in Bangladesh where visitors can watch the sun both rise and set over the water, making it a distinctive counterpart to Cox's Bazar further east.