COX’S BAZAR — Tourists are being allowed to stay overnight on St. Martin’s Island, Bangladesh’s only coral island, for the first time in 10 months after a Tourism and Environment Ministry ban, authorities said.
Four ships received permission Monday to sail from Cox’s Bazar to St. Martin’s, with the authorization in effect through Jan. 31.
Officials said ships will leave the North Nuniachhara jetty each morning at 7 a.m. with district administration approval. While tourists are allowed to stay overnight, the passenger ships will make the return journey from St. Martin’s at 3 p.m. the same day. Tourists staying overnight can return by ship the following day at 3 p.m.
Up to 2,000 tourists per day will be allowed to visit and stay on the island, authorities said. To protect the island’s biodiversity, tourists must strictly follow government-issued restrictions and guidelines.
Ship operators said more than 1,500 advance tickets have already been sold for the first day of travel.
The government allowed limited travel to St. Martin’s on Nov. 1 after a nine-month ban, but no passenger ships sailed during the past month because overnight stays were not permitted. The Teknaf-St. Martin’s sea route, in addition to the Cox’s Bazar-St. Martin’s route, had been closed for about a year.
“St. Martin’s Island is our national asset,” Cox’s Bazar District Administrator A. Mannan said. “Tourists must cooperate to protect this asset, preserve the island’s biodiversity and support sustainable tourism.”
The district administration said travelers must buy tickets online through the Bangladesh Tourism Board’s approved portal. Tourists staying overnight must strictly follow the 12-point government guidelines for biodiversity protection. Authorities said tourist numbers and visit durations will be closely monitored to maintain the island’s environmental balance.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report