A joint committee has been formed by the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change to regulate tourists and authorized vessels traveling to the coral island of Saint Martin.
To visit Saint Martin, tourists must register and adhere to various restrictions.
This joint committee, formed by the ministry, will oversee these matters.
The committee was formed through an order signed by Senior Assistant Secretary of the Ministry, Sabrina Rahman, on Tuesday, reports Prothom Alo.
The Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNO) of Cox's Bazar Sadar and Teknaf have been appointed as the committee's chairpersons, and the Deputy Director of the Directorate of Environment (DOE) in Cox's Bazar has been appointed as the committee's secretary.
Other members include representatives from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, the Bangladesh Tourism Board in Cox's Bazar, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) in Cox's Bazar, the Bangladesh Coast Guard in Cox's Bazar, and the Tourist Police in Cox's Bazar.
The committee’s responsibilities, as mentioned in the order, include ensuring that tourists register through an app developed by the Bangladesh Tourism Board at the entry point before boarding vessels to Saint Martin.
Tourists with travel passes will be allowed to travel on authorized vessels.
The committee will enforce the ban on the transportation of prohibited plastic bags and single-use plastic items on both tourists and authorized vessels.
Upon arrival at Saint Martin Island, tourists must register the hotel where they will stay, and this information will be kept in a register. Billboards will be installed at both the departure point and the entry point of Saint Martin to inform tourists about what to do and what to avoid.
The DOE Cox’s Bazar office will coordinate overall activities and communications. The committee can increase its members if necessary.
Additional District Magistrate (ADM) of Cox’s Bazar, Nizam Uddin Ahmed, confirmed the formation of the committee and mentioned that its members have already started their work on the ground.
When asked, the Assistant Commissioner (Land) and committee chairperson, Arif Ullah Nezami, who is also performing additional duties as the UNO of Teknaf, said that that they had received the order Wednesday.
After consulting with senior authorities and other members of the committee, they will decide when tourist vessels will begin operations on the Teknaf-Saint Martin water route.
Arif Ullah Nezami also mentioned that after several days of suspension, clashes between Myanmar's military and the Arakan Army in Myanmar’s Rakhine State resumed on Tuesday afternoon.
The clashes continued until this afternoon. The Naf River divides the two countries, with Rakhine State on the eastern side and Teknaf on the western side. To reach Saint Martin, tourists must cross the Naf River and travel another 17 kilometers across the Bay of Bengal. In the past, shots have been fired from the opposite side during the crossing.
Considering this situation, the committee is considering the safety of tourists while assessing whether vessels should continue to operate in the Naf River. Alternative routes for the vessels are also being explored.
Sources have indicated that on October 22, the Ministry of Environment held a meeting and decided to impose various restrictions on Saint Martin.
Following this, on October 28, an official circular signed by the ministry’s Deputy Secretary, Asma Shaheen, outlined five measures to be implemented.
According to this circular, prior approval from the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority and the Ministry of Environment is required for vessels or ships to operate to Saint Martin.
After obtaining approval, the Deputy Commissioner Commissioner of Cox's Bazar will be able to grant permission for vessels to operate.
The circular also states that while tourists will be allowed to visit the island in November, they must return the same day and cannot stay overnight. In December and January, tourists will be allowed to stay overnight on Saint Martin, but the number of tourists will be limited to no more than 2,000 per day. Additionally, no lights will be allowed at night, and activities like noise pollution and barbecues will be prohibited.
Despite this circular, vessels have not yet resumed operations to Saint Martin, and no tourists have visited the island in November.
Investors in the tourism sector are divided on the government’s decision.
Former Union Parishad Chairman of Saint Martin, Firoz Khan, said that vessels usually start operating from Teknaf to Saint Martin at the end of October every year. Last year, due to gunfire from the Rakhine State, the operation of vessels through the Naf River was disrupted. During that time, shots were fired at several vessels from the opposite side. As an alternative, vessels operated through the Inani Jetty of the Marine Drive in Cox’s Bazar for several months.
However, with no vessels operating at the end of November this year, the residents of Saint Martin Island are feeling disappointed.
The current UP Chairman, Nur Ahmed, said that due to government restrictions, the residents of Saint Martin Island are also unable to travel urgently to Teknaf by wooden boats or speedboats. They must now obtain permission from the administration for such travel.
