[8] From the early 9th century, the greater Chittagong area including Cox's Bazar was under the rule of Arakan kings until its conquest by the Mughals in 1666 AD.

When the Mughal Prince Shah Shuja was passing through the hilly terrain of the present-day Cox's Bazar on his way to Arakan, he was attracted to its scenic and captivating beauty.

He succeeded Warren Hastings, who became the Governor of Bengal following the British East India Company Act in 1773.

Just after the end of British rule in 1947, Cox's Bazar became part of East Pakistan.

Captain Advocate Fazlul Karim, the first post-independence chairman of Cox's Bazar Municipality, established the Tamarisk Forest along the beach.

He donated much of his father-in-law's and his own lands as sites for constructing a public library and a town hall.

T. H. Matthews, the principal of the Dhaka Engineering College, was a friend who had helped him in these fundraising efforts.

Other beaches of the section are:[22][23] According to a survey of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics in December 2021, each year roughly 3 million tourists visit Cox's Bazar.

[26] However, the number of trips to Cox's Bazar beach is declining due to various issues.

[27] In 2021, an area of Cox's Bazar beach was declared a women-only zone, but the government reversed the decision after controversy.