Ships resume operation to St Martin’s with over 800 tourists

Tourist ships have resumed operations from Cox’s Bazar to Saint Martin’s Island, carrying more than 800 passengers, ending a prolonged wait for holidaymakers after receiving government approval on Thursday (November 5).

Three vessels -- MV Bar Auliya, MV Karnaphuli and MV Teknaf -- set sail for the island from the Nuniachhara jetty in the city’s Bakkhali River area from Thursday morning.

Hossain Islam Bahadur, general secretary of the Sea Cruise Operators Owners Association of Bangladesh (SCOAB), confirmed the resumption of the services on Wednesday. He said the decision was taken to begin operations from Thursday morning after completing all necessary preparations, regardless of the number of tourists.

According to the sources, although the government reopened Saint Martin’s Island to tourists on November 1, ship operations could not begin earlier due to administrative and approval-related complications. The services became possible after obtaining clearance from the Department of Shipping, Department of Environment and other relevant government agencies, along with consent from the Cox’s Bazar deputy commissioner.

The three approved vessels have a combined passenger capacity of 2,298. MV Bar Auliya can carry 850 passengers, MV Karnaphuli 732 and MV Teknaf 716.

Under the scheduled timetable, MV Bar Auliya will depart Cox’s Bazar at 7AM and return from the island at 2:30PM. MV Karnaphuli will leave at 7:15AM and return at 2:15PM, while MV Teknaf will depart at 8:15AM and begin its return journey from the island at 3:30PM.

Under the government's revised guidelines, tourists can visit Saint Martin’s Island and stay overnight from November 1 to March 15 next year. However, the daily number of visitors has been capped at 3,500. Each tourist must pay a Tk100 environmental conservation fee, while a travel pass and QR code-based ticket are mandatory for visiting the island.

Despite reopening the island to tourists, the government has retained several restrictions to protect its fragile ecosystem and biodiversity. Lighting on the beach and surrounding areas at night, creating excessive noise and organising barbecue parties are prohibited. Entering coastal forests, collecting fruits from keora trees and trading in them are also banned.

Tourists are also prohibited from harming or collecting natural resources and wildlife, including sea turtles, birds, corals, snails, oysters, starfish, horseshoe crabs, seagrass and algae. The movement of motorcycles, sea bikes and all other vehicles on the beach has also been banned.

Tourism-related businesses expect the resumption of ship services after a prolonged suspension to revive interest in visiting the country's only coral island. However, they have also stressed the importance of complying with government restrictions to protect the island's environment and biodiversity.