About 140 residents of St Martin’s Island returned home from Teknaf on Saturday aboard three wooden service trawlers, braving rough seas and adverse weather after being stranded on the mainland for 10 days.
The trawlers also carried essential food supplies to the island, while the administration separately sent food assistance for around 300 families on the remote island.
The vessels left Kayukkhali jetty in Teknaf municipality at around noon amid persistent rain and rough conditions in the Bay of Bengal. Passengers had to travel about 36 kilometres across choppy waters to reach the country’s only coral island.
The coastal areas are still under Local Cautionary Signal No. 3, making the journey highly risky. However, the stranded residents said they had little choice but to return home after days of uncertainty and separation from their families.
Passenger vessels and other regular water transport on the Teknaf–St Martin’s route have remained suspended for the past 10 days because of adverse weather and rough seas, leaving more than 150 island residents stranded in Teknaf after travelling there for medical treatment, shopping and other urgent needs.
Many of them had been staying in hotels or with relatives, while others were facing financial hardship after losing income during the prolonged disruption.
When the trawlers departed on Saturday amid heavy rain and high waves, anxious relatives gathered at Kayukkhali jetty, praying for the passengers’ safe journey.
Mohammad Zubair, who oversees the St Martin’s service at Kayukkhali jetty, said the stranded passengers had boarded the trawlers along with essential food supplies and had reached the island safely.
Mahfuza Akter, a reserved ward member of St Martin’s Union Parishad, said the residents were allowed to return with the approval of the Teknaf upazila administration.
“They were also provided with essential food supplies. People on St Martin’s are going through immense hardship. There is no work and no income, and many families are struggling to survive,” she said.
Local residents said the island’s economy had already slowed after the end of the tourist season, as most households depend on tourism for their livelihoods. The prolonged suspension of water transport has further worsened the situation by disrupting the supply of essential commodities and limiting access to healthcare, education and employment.
Resident Kefayet Ullah urged the authorities to ensure uninterrupted food assistance, medical supplies and alternative transport arrangements until regular ferry services resume.
Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer SM Anik Chowdhury said food assistance had been sent to about 300 families on St Martin’s and that the administration was closely monitoring the situation and would continue to provide support as needed.
Cox’s Bazar Life Report
Photo: Courtesy
