Five tourist vessels have resumed operations on the Cox’s Bazar–Saint Martin’s Island route following inspections of their fire safety systems and overall fitness.
Wakil Uddin, Port Officer of BIWTA Cox’s Bazar, confirmed the development to the media on Sunday.
He said a joint committee comprising officials from the Ministry of Shipping, Bangladesh Coast Guard, and BIWTA conducted on-site inspections of five vessels operating on the route on Sunday morning. Based on the findings, the committee verbally approved the vessels to resume passenger services.
The inspections followed a fire incident on Saturday morning around 7:00 am, when the tourist vessel Atlantic Cruise caught fire at Nuniachara Ghat in Cox’s Bazar, leaving one crew member dead.
In the aftermath, the district administration took several measures to ensure passenger safety on the popular sea route.
During the current winter tourism season, a total of seven vessels have been granted permission to operate between Cox’s Bazar and Saint Martin’s Island.
However, following the fire incident, operations of two vessels—including LCT Kajol—were suspended.
At the same time, the government-approved passenger capacity of 2,000 has been redistributed among the five operational vessels to manage travel demand.
Hossainul Islam Bahadur, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Cruise Owners’ Association, stated that around 400 passengers from LCT Kajol and Atlantis were accommodated on other cruise vessels.
“Despite some temporary inconvenience, we ultimately ensured the passengers’ trips to Saint Martin’s Island,” he added.
Authorities stated that safety monitoring will continue to prevent similar incidents in the future and ensure a secure travel experience for tourists visiting the island.
Cox’s Bazar Life Report
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