Tourist travel to St Martin’s halts for 9 months

Staff Reporter :

Tourist travel to St. Martin’s Island, a coral-rich destination in Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, will be suspended for nine months starting February 1, following a directive from the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change. The ban will remain in effect until November 2025.

Typically, the island’s tourist season runs from October 1 to March 31, but this year, new regulations have shortened the period, restricting travel earlier than usual.

Cox’s Bazar Additional District Magistrate, Imran Hossain, stated that ships will be allowed to operate to St. Martin’s until January 31. “After that, no tourist ships will be allowed to run,” he confirmed.

The decision has sparked concerns among local businesses, as tourism is a vital part of the island’s economy. MA Abdur Rahim Jihadi, President of the St. Martin Hotel-Motel-Resort Owners Association, expressed deep concern over the impact on local residents.

“Such a crisis has never arisen on the island before,” he remarked. “If tourists stop arriving now, the local population will face multiple challenges.

Hundreds of people depend on the tourism industry, and we urge the government to reconsider, at least allowing visitors until February 28.”