Tourist travel to Saint Martin’s Island will not resume on November 1 as scheduled due to delays in obtaining the necessary approvals for operating tourist vessels, with ship owners expecting services to begin on November 5 or 6.
Hossain Islam, general secretary of the Sea Cruise Operators Owners Association of Bangladesh, said vessels were yet to receive the required clearances from the relevant authorities.
According to the district administration and the Department of Environment, a decision on tourist travel to Saint Martin’s Island was taken at an inter-ministerial meeting held at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on October 12 this year.
A notification issued on October 25 retained the conditions imposed the previous year, requiring tourists to visit the island and return on the same day in November. Overnight stays were permitted in December and January.
The decision created confusion among tourists, hotel and restaurant owners, and ship operators.
The previous decision was subsequently revised through another notification issued on October 27. Signed by Sabrina Rahman, senior assistant secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the notification allowed tourists to visit and stay overnight on Saint Martin’s Island from November 1, 2026, to March 15, 2027.
It also set a daily limit of 3,500 tourists visiting the island.
Hossain Islam said operating vessels required clearance from the Ministry of Environment, approval from the Department of Shipping, a route permit from the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), and permission from the Cox’s Bazar deputy commissioner.
However, the approval process has yet to be completed. The software that the Bangladesh Tourism Board is supposed to launch to collect tourists’ information is also not ready.
As a result, vessels cannot operate from November 1. Preparations are underway to begin services on November 5 or 6, he said.
Foyezul Islam, acting chairman of Saint Martin’s Union Parishad, said several thousand residents of the island had been excited by the announcement that it would reopen to tourists from November 1.
More than 230 hotels, resorts, cottages and restaurants had been prepared to accommodate tourists staying overnight. However, ship services will not begin on November 1 as the vessels have yet to receive the necessary approvals.
Some expect services to begin between November 5 and 7, while others believe they may start on November 15, he said.
Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner Md A Mannan said the administration was maintaining strict security measures for tourists visiting Saint Martin’s Island and Cox’s Bazar.
He said that although Saint Martin’s Island would reopen to tourists from November 1, vessels would be allowed to operate only after their fitness and safety were ensured.
A specific date for the resumption of ship services would be finalized at a meeting between the administration and ship owners at 11am on Saturday, he added.
The deputy commissioner said tourists would not be allowed to travel to Saint Martin’s Island by water from Teknaf, Shah Porir Dwip or Ukhiya. The only permitted departure point would be the BIWTA jetty in Cox’s Bazar.
Tourists would be allowed to visit the island only on government-approved vessels through online registration.
Referring to a tourist vessel fire last year, he said the relevant authorities were inspecting vessels to prevent a similar incident this year. Permission to operate would be granted after the inspections were completed.
Tourist vessels travelling to Saint Martin’s Island depart from the BIWTA jetty at Nuniachhara on the Bankkhali River in Cox’s Bazar town.
The island is approximately 120km from Nuniachhara, and the entire journey passes through the Bay of Bengal.
