Saint Martin's ship services to resume operation from Friday

The ship services for tourists from Cox’s Bazar’s Teknaf to Saint Martin have been permitted to be opened from Friday morning.

Confirming the matter, Additional District Magistrate Md Shah Jahan Ali on Thursday evening, said: “Upon carefully analysing the ship’s security documents, we permitted the Keari Sindabad Ship to operate in the route from Friday morning.”

Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority’s (BIWTA) Chittagong range Deputy Director, Nayan Shill said that two ships had sought permission to operate on the Teknaf-Saint Martin route.

“The ships, Keari Sindabad, have been permitted to operate from October 1 to December 12, and MV Farhan from November 4 to February 27,” said the officer.

The reason behind the delay in operation was not known to the officer, he said.

Md Shah Alam, manager of Keari Sindabad said: “After getting the permission, we already started to sell tickets to tourists.”

The river transport route to Saint Martin was suspended for more than eight months due to the lockdown implied for the Covid-19 pandemic, said Nur Ahmed, UP chairman of Saint Martin.

“The cottages and hotels are getting ready to welcome tourists. The economy of this area largely depends on its tourists so it is a good news that the routes are re-opening,” said the local leader.