Photo : Collected

COX'S BAZAR, Nov 30, 2025 (BSS) - Tourists' ship operations to Saint Martin's Island in the Bay of Bengal are set to resume tomorrow (December 1), while visitors will be allowed to stay overnight there for next two months.

However, only 2,000 tourists will be allowed to visit this coral island per day.

The ship will leave from Nuniarachara Jetty in Cox's Bazar town at 7 am and the ship will return to Cox's Bazar from Saint Martin's Island at 3 pm the next day. Tourists will be able to make this trip for next two months - December and January.

A special preparatory meeting was held at Cox's Bazar Deputy Commissioner's Office this afternoon (November 30) regarding tourist movement to Saint Martin's Island. 

Deputy Commissioner Md Abdul Mannan presided over the meeting while representatives of the Department of Environment (DoE), Tourism Board, Police and other government entities were present.

After the meeting, Cox's Bazar Additional District Magistrate (ADM) Shahidul Alam said four ships have received permission from the district administration to fly on waterway from Cox's Bazar to Saint Martin's Island. 

Out of those, three ships - MV Karnaphuli Express, MV Baro Awlia and Keari Sindbad will start operation from December 1. The administration has taken all kinds of preparations so that tourists do not face any problem while traveling to Saint Martin's Island, he said.

DoE Deputy Director at Cox's Bazar District Office, Khandaker Mahmud Pasha, said to discourage one-time plastic, the DoE will distribute free aluminum water bottles to tourists while boarding the ships at the BIWTA Jetty in Nuniarachara in Cox's Bazar. 

In addition, he said, the ships will be kept under strict surveillance. Separate search arrangements have been made at the BIWTA jetty in Nuniachara and the island's jetty.

Hossain Islam Bahadur, general secretary of the Sea Cruise Operator Owners Association of Bangladesh, an organisation of tourist ship owners on the Saint Martin's route, said, "From tomorrow, these three ships - MV Karnaphuli Express, MV Baro Awlia and Keari Sindbad - will start their journey at 7 am. 

"The ship authorities are collecting travel permits for the tourists who have already booked tickets. The three ships will sell tickets until the morning. As a result, we cannot confirm the total number of passengers," he said.

About the number of passengers, he further said, "No tickets exceeding 2,000 will be sold. The ships will operate according to government decisions."

Instructions on traveling to Saint Martin's Island: 

No ship will be able to navigate the coral island without the approval of BIWTA and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. 

Tourists will have to buy tickets online through the Bangladesh Tourism Board's approved web portal, where the travel pass and QR code will be attached. Tickets without the QR code will be considered invalid.

The schedule of trips to the island and the number of tourists will be strictly controlled. Tourist travel will be completely closed in February. Lighting on the beach at night time, making noise or having barbecue parties is prohibited on the island.

Entering the keya forest, collecting and selling keya fruits, and damaging biodiversity, including sea turtles, birds, corals, king crabs, snails and oysters, are strictly prohibited.

Motorcycles, sea bikes or any motorised vehicles are completely prohibited on the beach. Polythene cannot be carried and single-use plastics (chip packets, straws, mini-packs of soap-shampoo, small plastic bottles, etc.) are discouraged. Visitors are asked to use their own water flasks instead of plastic bottles.

Bangladesh Tourism Board Deputy Director Mohibul Islam said, among the 12 instructions that tourists must follow to travel to the island, one of those is to collect tickets online through the recognised web portal of the Bangladesh Tourism Board.