Saint Martin’s Tourist Ship Services Delayed Until November

Tourist ships will not begin operating to Saint Martin’s Island on November 1, despite the island becoming open to visitors from that date. The start of ship services may be delayed by another three to four days because several official clearances and administrative approvals remain pending.

The delay means tourists planning to visit the island will have to wait a few more days before travelling.

Officials disclosed the development after a meeting at the Shaheed ATM Zafar Alam Conference Room at the Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner’s Office on Thursday afternoon, October 29.

Barrister Mutasim Billah Faruqui, chief executive officer of the Bangladesh Tourism Board, said final approval for ship operations would be granted only after tourism stakeholders properly implement the government’s conditions aimed at protecting the island’s environment and ensuring visitor safety.

He said the Tourism Board and other relevant agencies were working to prevent any violation of the government’s rules for visiting Saint Martin’s Island. The meeting was organised to raise awareness among tourism stakeholders about environmental protection and tourist safety.

Faruqui also said a website managed by the Tourism Board would open on November 1 for tourists to register for visits to the island.

Meanwhile, Hossainul Islam Bahadur, general secretary of the Sea Cruise Operators Owners Association of Bangladesh (SCOAB), said several official approvals required to operate tourist ships had yet to be obtained, making a November 1 launch impossible.

He said three vessels had received approval from the Department of Shipping and other relevant authorities to operate on the Saint Martin’s route this season. Applications had also been submitted for permission for seven additional vessels. Although the three approved ships were ready to operate, the remaining formalities had not been completed.

Bahadur said environmental clearance from the Department of Environment had become mandatory for ship operations this year. The three approved vessels received environmental clearance on Thursday, but several other requirements remain outstanding.

These include voyage licences from the Department of Shipping, route permits and operating schedules from the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), and local approval from the Cox’s Bazar district administration.

Completing these procedures could take until November 3 or 4, he said, adding that ship services were unlikely to begin before then.

The three vessels approved to carry tourists on the route are MB Karnaphuli, Bar Auliya and MB Teknaf. Together, they can accommodate around 2,300 passengers.

Bahadur said prospective visitors had already been contacting operators to book tickets. However, ticket sales could not begin because the Tourism Board’s registration software was not yet operational. He expressed hope that the complications would be resolved within the next two to three days.

The meeting was organised by the district administration to discuss tourism management and overall safety following recent fires at the Tup Tup Resort in Patuartek and the Sea Princess Hotel at Sugandha Point.

The meeting was chaired by Tasnim Jahan, additional district magistrate of Cox’s Bazar. Those present included Nishat Angela, superintendent of police at the Tourist Police’s Cox’s Bazar office; Debdut Majumder, additional superintendent of traffic police; senior Tourism Board officials; and representatives of the administration and various tourism-related organisations.