Once again, the authorities have delayed the long-anticipated launch of passenger ferry services to St. Martin’s Island. This time, a combination of insufficient passenger bookings and adverse weather conditions triggered by a cyclone warning forced the authorities to halt the scheduled departure.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Tourism Board has announced that ferry tickets now include travel passes for visiting St. Martin’s.
Nur Mohammad Siddique, the Cox’s Bazar in charge of the Keari Sindbad ferry, confirmed the latest development of Cox’s Bazar Life on Saturday evening (November 30). The Keari Sindbad is the only vessel approved for the Cox’s Bazar–St Martin route.
“Due to the cyclone warning and low passenger numbers, we cannot proceed with the ferry’s scheduled departure for St. Martin’s Island on December 1.” It is uncertain when services will resume.”
Previously, similar issues led to the postponement of ferry operations from November 28 to December 1.
A travel pass is now bundled with ferry tickets
Following recent regulatory changes under an interim government, travel to St. Martin’s Island requires an official travel pass. The Ministry of Environment mandated that the Bangladesh Tourism Board develop an app to obtain these passes.
However, confusion arose as no such app is currently available on the Google Play Store, leaving travelers uncertain about the process.
To address these concerns, Abu Taher Muhammad Jaber, CEO of the Bangladesh Tourism Board, announced on Friday (November 29) at Cox’s Bazar’s Laboni Point Beach that ferry operators will issue travel passes alongside ticket purchases.
This aims to streamline the process and prevent travelers from harassment by third-party agents.
Nur Mohammad Siddique elaborated, saying, “We have been provided a link where passenger details—such as name, mobile number, date of birth, address, and email—are entered at the time of ticket purchase. Once completed, we will generate and issue the travel pass to the passenger.”
Although operational issues like weather and passenger demand continue to present challenges, this new arrangement should simplify travel to St. Martin’s Island.
By Abdur Rashid Manik
