Saint Martin’s Island ‘stranded’ as ships await clearance

Despite being scheduled to reopen on November 1 after a prolonged closure, Saint Martin’s Island will not receive tourists on the opening day. The delay is due to the tourist vessels not receiving the necessary permits to operate.

Shipowners said it could take another three to four days to complete the approval and administrative procedures. However, a website operated by the Bangladesh Tourism Board will open on November 1 for registration of those interested in visiting the island.

Tourist vessels operate to Saint Martin’s Island from the BIWTA jetty at Nuniyachhara on the Bankkhali River in Cox’s Bazar town. The island is approximately 120 kilometers from Nuniyachhara. The entire journey passes through the Bay of Bengal.

According to the district administration and the Department of Environment, a decision on tourist travel to Saint Martin’s Island was made at an interministerial meeting held at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on October 12. A notification issued on October 25 retained the conditions imposed the previous year. Under those rules, tourists were required to visit and return on the same day in November, while overnight stays were permitted in December and January.

The decision created confusion among tourists, hotel and restaurant owners, and shipowners. On October 27, the government revised the previous decision and issued a new notification. The revised notification allows tourists to visit and stay overnight on Saint Martin’s Island from November 1, 2026, to March 15, 2027. It also states that a maximum of 3,500 tourists can visit the island each day.

Thousands of island residents were excited by the announcement that Saint Martin’s Island would reopen to tourists. More than 230 hotels, resorts, cottages, and restaurants had been prepared to accommodate overnight visitors. However, tourist vessels will not begin operating on November 1 because they have yet to receive the required approvals.

Hossainul Islam Bahadur, general secretary of the Sea Cruise Operators Owners Association of Bangladesh (SCOAB), said three vessels had already received approval from the Department of Shipping and other relevant authorities to operate on the Saint Martin’s route this season. Applications have been submitted for approval for seven more vessels. The approved ships are ready to operate. However, several more days will be needed to complete the clearance from the Department of Environment and other administrative procedures.

He said the government has made clearance from the Department of Environment mandatory for vessels operating on the Saint Martin’s route starting this year. Although the three approved vessels received clearance from the Department of Environment on Thursday, some additional procedures remain incomplete. These processes may take until November 3 or 4. As a result, vessel operations cannot begin on November 1.

Barrister Mutasim Billah Farooqi, chief executive officer of the Bangladesh Tourism Board, said preparations were underway to manage tourism on Saint Martin’s Island while protecting the environment and ensuring tourist safety. The Tourism Board and relevant authorities are working to ensure that none of the government-imposed conditions for visiting the island are violated.

He also said consultation meetings had been organized to raise awareness among stakeholders in the tourism industry about ensuring environmental protection and tourist safety. Approval for vessel operations was granted only after assurances that these conditions would be implemented.