Tourists will be allowed to visit St Martin’s Island and stay overnight throughout the four-and-a-half-month tourism season, from 1 November to 15 March, under revised government guidelines.
However, despite the revised rules taking effect from 1 November, tourist ships have yet to secure all necessary administrative clearances, delaying the resumption of operations and leaving prospective visitors uncertain about their travel plans.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change issued revised guidelines on 27 October, resolving confusion over overnight stays during November and February-March. An earlier directive issued on 25 October had raised uncertainty over whether tourists would be allowed to stay overnight during those months.
Senior Assistant Secretary Sabrina Rahman of the ministry told journalists that the confusion had been resolved and tourists would be allowed to stay on the island throughout the entire permitted period.
Each visitor will have to pay Tk100 as an environmental conservation fee. The daily tourist limit has been set at 3,500, while visitors must carry travel passes and tickets containing QR codes under the existing rules.
Located about 9km south of Teknaf in the northeastern part of the Bay of Bengal, St Martin’s is Bangladesh’s only coral island. Covering around three square kilometres, it is known for its clear blue waters, coral formations, seashells, crabs and diverse marine life.
The island is also known as Narikel Jinjira for its naturally grown rows of coconut trees. Chera Dwip, a coral-rich islet that emerges with the tides, lies to the south of the main island.
Its natural beauty and marine biodiversity have made it one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations. The island has also been declared a marine protected area.
Ship operations await administrative clearance
Although tourist travel is scheduled to resume on 1 November, no ships have started operating on the St Martin’s route because several administrative approvals remain pending.
Three vessels – MV Karnaphuli Express, MV Bar Aulia and MV Teknaf – are ready to carry tourists. Together, they have a passenger capacity of around 2,300.
Hossain Islam Bahadur, general secretary of the Sea Cruise Operators Owners Association of Bangladesh (SCOAB), an organisation of St Martin’s-bound ship operators, said the three vessels were prepared for the season.
He said the Department of Environment had issued its clearance on Thursday morning, but several other approvals remained pending.
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.
Tourists are also interested in booking tickets, but the Bangladesh Tourism Board’s travel-pass software is not yet operational.
Bahadur expressed hope that the remaining complications could be resolved and ship operations could begin by 5 or 6 November.
Md Mahmudur Rahman Sayem, the official responsible for the tourism cell at the Cox’s Bazar district administration, said no ship had yet received permission to operate because the owners had failed to submit all the required documents.
He also said the Tourism Board’s preparations were not yet complete. The deputy commissioner is expected to visit St Martin’s and hold discussions with stakeholders to resolve the outstanding issues.
Overnight stays allowed throughout the season
An inter-ministerial meeting on tourist access to St Martin’s was held at the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on 12 October.
Following the meeting, the ministry’s Environment-2 branch issued instructions to the relevant ministries and departments on 25 October, retaining the conditions of a directive issued on 22 October 2025.
Under the initial interpretation of those conditions, tourists would have been allowed to visit the island only during the day in November, returning to the mainland on the same day. Overnight stays would have been permitted only in December and January.
This created confusion among tourists, hotel and restaurant owners, and ship operators over whether the restrictions imposed last year would continue.
The revised notification issued on 27 October subsequently clarified that overnight stays would be allowed throughout the entire travel period, from 1 November to 15 March.
As in previous seasons, tourist ships are expected to depart from the BIWTA jetty at North Nuniachhara in Cox’s Bazar.
Bangladesh Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer Barrister Mutasim Billah Faruqi said tourists would again need travel passes to visit the island this season.
He said technical preparations were under way to introduce the system, requiring visitors to collect travel passes and QR-code-enabled tickets through the Tourism Board.
Environmental restrictions remain in place
The restrictions introduced under last year’s directive will remain in force to protect the island’s environment and biodiversity.
Lighting on the beach and adjoining areas at night, loud noise and barbecue parties are prohibited.
Entering the keya forest, as well as collecting, buying or selling keya fruit, is also prohibited.
Activities that damage marine turtles, birds, coral, shells, starfish, horseshoe crabs, seagrass and algae are banned.
Motorcycles, sea bikes and other vehicles are also prohibited from operating on the beach.
The Tk100 environmental conservation fee and the QR-code-based travel-pass system are intended to regulate tourist movement and support environmental protection.
Fire safety raises fresh concerns
Preparations for reopening St Martin’s to tourists have also raised concerns about fire safety at the island’s hotels, resorts and cottages.
The issue has gained renewed attention following a recent fire at TupTup Restro and Resort in Patuartek, Inani, Ukhia, Cox’s Bazar, which killed 11 tourists. A fire also occurred on St Martin’s recently.
Kamruzzaman Sumon, station commander of Teknaf Fire Service, said he had recently joined the station and would take initiatives to establish a fire service presence and deploy trained personnel on the island.
He said they would inspect the island and take necessary measures.
Fayzul Islam, acting chairman of St Martin’s Union Parishad, said he had discussed the issue with the fire service following the resort fire. Hotel and resort operators had been instructed to keep firefighting equipment on their premises.
However, he did not see an immediate prospect of establishing a fire service station on the island.
Local residents said merely instructing hotels to keep fire extinguishers would not be enough to ensure tourists’ safety. The equipment must be inspected regularly to ensure it works properly.
They also stressed the need for safe electrical connections, fire safety arrangements in kitchens, emergency exits and trained personnel at every hotel, resort and cottage.
Island residents said that when fires break out at hotels, resorts or restaurants, locals often have to rely on household water pipes to extinguish the flames. Local residents and members of law enforcement agencies also join the efforts.
However, once a fire spreads, the limited equipment available on the island makes it difficult to bring the situation under control.
Tourism Board Chief Executive Faruqi said several measures had been taken under the national tourism policy to ensure visitor safety.
He said the travel-pass and QR-code-based ticketing systems would help regulate tourist movement, while restrictions on nighttime lighting, noise and barbecue parties would remain in place.
Tourism revival brings hope to islanders
The prospect of reopening the island to tourists, including overnight visitors, after a year-long disruption has brought renewed hope to local residents and businesses.
Fishing and agriculture were once the main occupations of most islanders. However, as tourist arrivals increased over the past two decades, many residents left their traditional livelihoods to engage in tourism-related businesses and services.
Restrictions on tourist movement over the past year brought hotels, resorts, restaurants, transport services and other tourism-dependent businesses to a standstill.
The revised government decision has raised hopes that these businesses will become active again.
Fayzul Islam said residents from different professions had become busy preparing for the arrival of tourists.
Business owners were renovating their establishments and making other preparations ahead of the season, he added.
SM Anik Chowdhury, Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer, said St Martin’s was an attractive destination for tourists and that up to 3,500 visitors would be allowed to travel to the island daily from 1 November.
He said the Coast Guard, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Navy and police would work to ensure tourists’ safety.
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