Tourists have been allowed to visit Saint Martin’s Island since November 1, but no passenger vessel has yet received permission to operate on the route, leaving travel to the country’s only coral island uncertain.
Seven vessels operating on the Cox’s Bazar-Saint Martin’s route have applied for route permits, but the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority has not approved any of them because the owners have yet to submit the required documents.
The BIWTA said the owners of seven tourist vessels had applied for route permits and approval of operating schedules. However, the authority could not process the applications because the required certificates and documents were not submitted.
The authority sent letters to the vessel owners on Monday, asking them to provide the necessary papers.
In a letter signed by Salma Akter, deputy director of BIWTA’s Department of Naval Safety and Traffic Management, the authority said the owners of MV Karnaphuli Express, MV Baro Awlia and MV Teknaf had applied for route permits and schedule approval on October 6 and 7.
These vessels had received consent letters from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. However, permission to operate from Nuniachhara in Cox’s Bazar town to Saint Martin’s could not be granted because the required documents had not been submitted.
Meanwhile, the owners of MV Keari Cruise and Dine, MV Keari Sindbad, LCT Kajal and MV Bay Cruiser-1 applied on October 26 and 27.
As the applications lacked the necessary documents, BIWTA could not even send a letter to the environment ministry seeking its policy-level consent for these vessels.
Consequently, the approval process for route permits and operating schedules for all seven vessels remains incomplete.
The BIWTA letter asked the owners to submit updated survey certificates, proof of payment of route permit fees, conservancy clearance, voyage licences and all other required documents.
Nayan Shil, deputy director of BIWTA’s Chattogram division and Cox’s Bazar river port, said vessels carrying tourists from Nuniachhara to Saint Martin’s must obtain route permits from the authority.
BIWTA officials said the distance between Nuniachhara and Saint Martin’s by sea was around 200 kilometres. No route permit could be issued without a valid survey certificate and other required maritime documents.
They said the certificates were particularly important to ensure safe voyages after the vessels had remained out of operation at sea for a long period.
The officials said route permits would be arranged for companies that submitted the required documents promptly.
Sources at the district administration and the Department of Environment said an inter-ministerial meeting held at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on October 12 decided on arrangements for tourist travel to Saint Martin’s.
A notification issued on October 25 retained the conditions imposed in the previous year. Under the rules, tourists could visit the island and return on the same day in November, while overnight stays would be allowed in December and January.
The conditions confused tourists, hotel and restaurant owners, and vessel operators.
By Mohammad Morshed
Cox’s Bazar Life Photo
