Cox's Bazar is a city, fishing port, tourism centre, and district headquarters in south-eastern Bangladesh. Cox's Bazar Beach, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Bangladesh, is the longest uninterrupted naturally occurring sea beach in the world.^[1][2] Located 150 km (93 mi) south of the city of Chittagong, Cox's Bazar is also known by the name Panowa, which translates literally as "yellow flower." An old name was "Palongkee".^[3][4]

The city covers an area of 23.4 km² (9.0 sq mi) with 58 mahallas and 27 wards and as of 2022 had a population of nearly 200,000.^[5] Cox's Bazar is connected by road and air with Chittagong.^[6][7]

The modern Cox's Bazar derives its name from Captain Hiram Cox, an officer of the British East India Company, a Superintendent of Palongkee outpost. To commemorate his role in refugee rehabilitation work, a market was established and named after him. It is one of Bangladesh's main tourist spots. In 2023 Bangladesh evacuated over 50,000 people in Cox's Bazar to safe shelters as Cyclone Mocha approached.^[8] During the protest of 2024, around 10,000 tourists were stuck in Cox's Bazar, who were later transported by plane and army patrol.^[9]