Tourist travel to St Martin’s Island, the country’s only coral-bearing island, has been completely suspended for the next nine months under a government directive aimed at protecting its environment and biodiversity.
The restriction came into effect from Sunday, February 1, following the end of the current, shortened tourist season.
Passenger vessels made their final trips to the island on Saturday, January 31. With overnight stays barred on the last day, comparatively fewer tourists visited the island.
Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer Imam ul Hafiz Nadim confirmed the matter, saying that all tourist visits to St Martin’s would remain prohibited for the next nine months in line with the government decision.
Further steps will be taken later as per fresh instructions from the authorities, he added.
General Secretary of the Sea Cruise Operators Owners’ Association of Bangladesh, Hossain Islam Bahadur, said that, following the latest restrictions, business owners are facing losses.
He noted that in November and December, an average of around 2,000 tourists travelled to the island each day.
“We could have recovered some of the losses if the tourist movement had continued for a little longer,” he said.
A total of eight tourist vessels operated on the Cox’s Bazar–St Martin’s route this season: MV Karnaphuli Express, MV Baro Aulia, MV Bay Cruise, MV Kajol, MV Keari Sindbad, MV Keari Cruise & Dine, MV Teknaf, and Atlantic Cruise.
To conserve the island’s delicate environment, ecology, and wildlife, the government has been imposing seasonal restrictions on tourist access since 2023.
Typically, tourists are allowed to travel to St Martin’s from October 1 to March 31 each year. This time, however, the window was curtailed to end on January 31 due to environmental risks.
Under the revised rules, overnight stays were permitted only during December and January.
In November, tourists were required to return the same day and could stay on the island for a maximum of two hours.
As a result, December and January effectively became the core tourist months before the latest full suspension took effect.
By Abdu Rashid Manik
Photo: Abdu Rashid Manik
