After a nine-month closure, Saint Martin’s Island — the country’s only coral island — officially reopened to tourists today, November 1.
According to government directives, a maximum of 2,000 tourists will be allowed to visit the island daily.
However, visitors must comply with 12 specific environmental guidelines designed to protect the island’s fragile ecosystem. Authorities have also prohibited overnight stays for the month of November.
The Department of Environment confirmed that tourist vessels will operate from the BIWTA jetty at Nuniachhara, Cox’s Bazar, as the Inani–Saint Martin route remains legally restricted.
However, despite the reopening, no ships departed for the island today. Initially, two vessels — Karnaphuli Express and Baro Awlia — were scheduled to operate from the Nuniachhara BIWTA jetty, but the owners withdrew their decision at the last moment.
Hossain Islam Bahadur, general secretary of the Sea Cruise Operator Owners Association of Bangladesh, explained,
“Although all preparations were in place, no vessels will operate from November 1. It takes nearly seven hours — sometimes up to ten — to reach the island from Cox’s Bazar.
Without permission for overnight stays, it’s nearly impossible to make a same-day round trip. We are preparing to resume operations in December or January, when tourists will be allowed to stay overnight.”
Tourist travel to Saint Martin’s had been suspended since February 1, 2025. Visitors will again be allowed between November and January, a three-month window under strict environmental control.
The ecologically fragile island is home to 1,076 species of biodiversity, including several endangered corals and marine species. In recent years, unplanned construction, unregulated tourist influx, and pollution have severely harmed its environment.
However, officials say the nine-month tourism ban has allowed the island’s biodiversity to recover and its ecosystem to stabilize.
By Mohammad Morshed
Photo: Mohammad Morshed
