Trawler services transporting passengers and essential goods on the Teknaf-Saint Martin waterway have been suspended for the past three days due to rough seas and adverse weather conditions. This disruption has led to significant hardships for residents of Saint Martin Island and those stranded in Teknaf.
According to media reports, residents of Saint Martin Island are experiencing shortages of daily necessities. Many islanders who traveled to Teknaf for urgent reasons, including medical treatment and emergency purchases, are unable to return due to the halt in trawler services. The closure has also left some in financial distress, with many people taking refuge in hotels and with relatives in Teknaf.
Abdur Rashid, President of the Passenger and Cargo Service Trawler Owners’ Association for the Teknaf-Saint Martin Sea Route, confirmed that all speedboat operations have ceased. Service trawlers have been out of operation since Saturday, August 17, due to a warning signal 3. The rough sea conditions continue to persist, and there is currently no clear timeline for when services will resume.
Mujibur Rahman, Chairman of the Saint Martin Union Parishad, stated that while there is no official government ban, the movement of passenger and cargo trawlers has been halted due to the severe weather. He assured that operations will resume according to the previous schedules once the warning signal is lifted.
