The first tourist ship of the season has started operating on the Cox’s Bazar-Saint Martin route. On Sunday, December 1, at 4 p.m., the ship carrying 653 tourists arrived in Saint Martin. Upon its arrival, the island’s residents warmly welcomed the tourists with red roses, adding a joyful touch to the island’s atmosphere.
The tourists departed from the Nuniyar Chhara BIWTA terminal in Cox’s Bazar city around 10 a.m.
Hossain Islam Bahadur, the General Secretary of the Sea Cruise Operators’ Owners Association of Bangladesh, reported that the ship arrived in Saint Martin at 4 p.m., where the tourists received floral greetings. There were no issues during the event.
Abdul Malek, a tourist businessman in Saint Martin, shared, “We welcomed the tourists with red roses. It has brought smiles to the faces of the island’s residents.”
Nilufa Yasmin Chowdhury, the Chairperson of the Saint Martin Tourism Control Committee and the Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) of Cox’s Bazar Sadar, stated that on the first day, a ship carrying 653 passengers safely arrived in Saint Martin.
It is worth noting that security concerns have emerged due to the recent rise of submerged shoals in the Naf River and shooting incidents along the Myanmar border.
The suspension of ship services from Teknaf has led to the operation of only ships from Cox’s Bazar City to Saint Martin.
The Teknaf-Saint Martin and Cox’s Bazar-Saint Martin routes allow ships to operate from October to March each year. Due to rough seas, ship services are suspended for the remaining six months of the year.
By Rajin Saleh
Photo: Collected
