With tourist travel completely suspended, a rare silence now blankets Saint Martin’s Island, the country’s only coral-rich island. Empty beaches, clear blue waters, and the absence of crowds have allowed the island to regain much of its natural character.
The government halted tourist entry from 31 January in a bid to protect the island’s fragile biodiversity. As a result, hotels, motels, and restaurants remain vacant, and many residents who depend on tourism have been forced to seek alternative livelihoods.
Azizul Haque, a local resident, said the island now feels unusually quiet. “With tourist movement restricted, we have not been able to run our businesses. Everyone has faced losses. We hope the new government will ease some of the restrictions,” he said.
Another resident, Mohammad Osman, observed that without tourists, the island’s true beauty has become more visible. He noted that biodiversity appears to be recovering and that overall environmental conditions have improved.
The interim government introduced several measures aimed at conserving the island’s ecosystem. These include limiting tourist access, imposing a two-month ban on overnight stays, and restricting plastic use. During the current tourist season, overnight stays were limited to November and January. From 1 December, a maximum of 2,000 tourists per day were allowed to visit the island, a policy that remained in effect until the end of February.
Environmentalists say that regulating tourism has created an opportunity for marine biodiversity and coral reefs around Saint Martin’s Island to partially recover. However, they caution that maintaining a balance between environmental protection and local residents’ livelihoods will be the key long-term challenge.
By Abdu Rashid Manik
Photo: Md Tauhidul Islam, Saint Martin’s Island
