St Martin’s to reopen Nov 1

COX’S BAZAR, Oct 25: Saint Martin’s Island, Bangladesh’s only coral-rich island and a popular tourist destination off the coast of Teknaf, will reopen to tourists on November 1, with the daily visitor limit increased to 3,500 from the previous cap of 2,000.

The decision was taken at an inter-ministerial meeting on tourism and visitor management held at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on October 12. The ministry issued instructions to the relevant ministries and agencies on Sunday to implement the decisions.

Under the revised arrangements, tourists will be allowed to visit the ecologically sensitive island from November 1 to March 15. Overnight stays will also be permitted, while each visitor will have to pay Tk 100 as an environmental conservation fee.

The ministry’s directive states that the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and the Department of Shipping cannot authorise vessel operations to Saint Martin’s without approval from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Approved tourist vessels will continue to operate from the Nuniachhara jetty.

The Department of Environment has been instructed to take necessary measures to collect the conservation fee under Rule 26 of the Ecologically Critical Area Management Rules, 2016. The ministry’s directives issued on October 22, 2025, will also remain in force.