Staff Corresondent

Tourists' access to St Martin’s, a coral-rich island located in Teknaf of Cox's Bazar, will be suspended for nine months starting 1 February, according to a decision of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

The closure will remain effective until November of the current year, according to the decision of the ministry.

Generally, the island’s tourist season begins on 1 October and continues till March, but this year, the access of tourists to the island has been lifted earlier.

Ships will be allowed to operate to St. Martin’s till today, after which no ships will be permitted, said Imran Hossain, additional district magistrate, Cox's Bazar.

The decision has raised concerns among local businesses as the tourism sector plays a vital role in boosting economic transactions in the island.

MA Abdur Rahim Jihadi, president of the St. Martin Hotel-Motel-Resort Owners Association, voiced concern about the potential impact on the people linked to the business. No such crisis has taken place on the island in the past, he added.

Earlier, the tourism business owners on Saint Martin’s Island demanded an extension of the existing provisions allowing tourists to travel to and stay overnight on the island until February.

They made the demand during a press conference at the Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) auditorium in Dhaka on 23 January.

During the press conference organised by the ‘Saint Martin's Island Environment and Tourism Protection-Development Alliance, the businessmen said that Saint Martin was opened for tourists last November, but they could not visit the island due to various complications, including travel passes.

Although tourists have been visiting the island since December, many of them are facing various obstacles with travel passes. With Ramadan beginning in March, February is considered the best time to travel to the Island. If tourists are stopped during this time, the islanders will incur great losses, they said.

In the greater interest of the business owners, locals, workers and daily wage earners, they urged the authorities concerned to allow the tourists to travel to and stay overnight on Saint Martin's Island until February.

Chairman of the alliance Shiblul Azam Qureshi said that the government has taken a suicidal decision to ban travel to Saint Martin and limit overnight stays and tourist travel defying the objection of the traders and other stakeholders.

Thousands of people have already rendered jobless while the locals are facing acute crises to maintain their lives and livelihoods, he said.

Habibur Rahman, general secretary of the alliance, said that the tourists usually started visiting the island from 1 October to 31 March every year.

But this year, the Ministry of Environment has issued an order limiting the tourists’ visit to the island. The tourists can go to St. Martin in November but cannot stay overnight, he said referring to the order.

No tourists could visit St. Martin last November due to the government embargo, he said.

The residents of the island are totally dependent on the tourism business and the sector is on the verge of absolute collapse following the government decision, said the businessman.

St. Martin cruise ship owners, Atlantic Ship Managing Director Nazrul Islam, owner of Tilottama Eco Resort and local environmentalist Javed Rahman, representative of Carey Sindabad Ship Sarwar Hossain, among others, spoke during the press conference.