Conflicting passenger counts and reports of ticketless travellers raise questions about compliance with the ship’s 850-passenger capacity limit.
MV Bar Auliya sails towards Saint Martin’s Island on its maiden voyage of the season on Thursday. Photo: TBS
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MV Bar Auliya sails towards Saint Martin’s Island on its maiden voyage of the season on Thursday. Photo: TBS
Tourist ships resumed Cox’s Bazar-Saint Martin’s Island services today (5 November) after weeks of uncertainty, with MV Bar Auliya carrying over 800 passengers on its maiden voyage. However, conflicting passenger counts from the operator and three government agencies raised questions about monitoring and compliance with the vessel’s capacity limit.
The vessel left Nuniachhara BIWTA jetty in Cox’s Bazar at around 7:40am and reached Saint Martin’s at about 1:45pm after nearly six hours at sea. Island residents and tourism businesses welcomed arriving passengers with flowers and sweets.
The ship has a declared capacity of 850 passengers, but the number who travelled remained disputed. Sea Cruise Operators Owners Association of Bangladesh General Secretary Hossain Islam Bahadur said more than 800 passengers had boarded and everyone who bought a ticket had travelled.
Passengers queue to board MV Bar Auliya at Nuniachhara BIWTA jetty in Cox’s Bazar on Thursday as tourist ship services to Saint Martin’s Island resume. Photo: TBS
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Passengers queue to board MV Bar Auliya at Nuniachhara BIWTA jetty in Cox’s Bazar on Thursday as tourist ship services to Saint Martin’s Island resume. Photo: TBS
Tourism Board Public Relations Officer Md Borhan Uddin put the number at 886, saying they had purchased tickets and travel passes.
However, the Department of Environment’s Cox’s Bazar Deputy Director Khandaker Mahmud Pasha and Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner’s Tourism Cell Magistrate Md Mahmudur Rahman Sayem said 837 passengers travelled. Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Traffic Inspector Tojazzel Hossain gave the figure as 830.
Requesting anonymity, an MV Baro Auliya official acknowledged that at least 20 journalists travelled without tickets, along with tourist inspectors assigned to the vessel and around 50 government officials.
The discrepancy has prompted questions about whether the authorities adequately monitored passenger numbers.
Hossain Islam Bahadur said the government has approved two more ships, MV Karnaphuli and MV Teknaf, for the route. Six other vessels have also applied for permission, he said, welcoming the government’s decision on Saint Martin’s tourism.
Current passenger capacity of the three ships combined is 2,298: 850 for Baro Auliya, 732 for Karnaphuli and 716 for Teknaf.
Assistant Commissioner (Land) of Cox’s Bazar Sadar Mohammad Ataur Rahman said officials from the administration, Coast Guard, river police and Department of Environment were monitoring operations.
Cox’s Bazar Fire Service and Civil Defence Deputy Assistant Director Syed Mohammad Morshed Hossain said they had inspected the vessel’s firefighting equipment at the district administration’s request and were satisfied with the arrangements. BIWTA is responsible for inspecting the equipment, he added.
According to the announced schedules, Baro Auliya departs Cox’s Bazar at 7:30am and returns from Saint Martin’s at 2:30pm; Karnaphuli departs at 7:15am and returns at 2:15pm; and Teknaf leaves at 8:15am and returns at 3:30pm.
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