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What needs to be done to visit St Martin’s Island
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has formed a joint committee to regulate tourists and authorised vessels in Saint Martin’s Island.
en.prothomalo.com
What needs to be done to visit St Martin’s Island
Staff Correspondent &
Correspondent
Cox’s Bazar and Teknaf
Updated: 20 Nov 2024, 23: 02
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has formed a joint committee to regulate tourists and authorised vessels in Saint Martin’s Island.
The tourists will have to abide by a set of rules and follow a registration process for visiting Saint Martin’s Island. The newly formed joint committee will look after the entire process.
The committee was formed as per the order of senior assistant secretary of the ministry Sabrina Rahman on Tuesday. The upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Cox’s Bazar Sadar and Teknaf upazila has been made the convener of the committee and deputy director of the Department of Environment in Cox’s Bazar has been made the member secretary of the committee.
Representatives from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, Bangladesh Tourism Board in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh Coast Guard and the Tourist Police in Cox’s Bazar will be the members of the committee.
The letter containing the order also describes the entire process to visit Saint Martin’s Island. It says the tourists will have to get the travel pass at the entry point (the place where the passengers will board the ship) through registration using the app developed by the Bangladesh Tourism Board. The committee will ensure that the passengers carrying a travel pass board on an authorised vessel.
A ban has been imposed on the polythene and one-time polythene products on the authorised vehicles. The committee will be strict in this regard.
There will be records on registers regarding the hotels where the tourists are to stay after reaching the island. There will be billboards regarding what is allowed and not allowed for the tourists during the trip at the entry point of Saint Martin’s Island.
Cox’s Bazar office of the Environmental Department will coordinate the entire process. There will be options to further extend the committee for the sake of the work.
Confirming the formation of the committee, Cox’s Bazar additional district magistrate (ADM) Nizam Uddin Ahmed said the members of the committee had already started their work.
When asked, assistant commissioner (AC, land) on additional charge Teknaf UNO and convener of the committee Arif Ullah Nizami told Prothom Alo that he received the copy of the order today. The decision regarding the date of resuming tourism in Saint Martin’s will be taken in consultation with the higher authorities and other members of the committee.
Arif Ullah Nizami said after several days the Myanmar Military and the Arakan Army restarted exchanging fire from Tuesday afternoon, which continued till the afternoon today. There have been incidents of opening fire targeting the Saint Martin’s bound boats from the other side of river Naf.
In this situation, the committee is reconsidering their decision to resume tourism and movement of passenger vessels along river Naf. The committee is prioritising the security of the tourists. They are also searching for an alternative route at the same time.
Relevant sources say on 22 October, the environment ministry decided to limit tourists in Saint Martin's Island in Cox's Bazar during the peak season aiming to protect the country's lone coral island from environmental pollution caused by growing tourists.
Following that, a notification signed by deputy secretary Asma Shaheen published 28 October mentioned about implementing five things.
First, any vessel will have to take permission from the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and the environment ministry for movement along the Saint Martin’s route. Only after that, the Cox’s Bazar deputy commissioner will be able to issue permission for Saint Martin’s bound vessels and ships.
The notification further said the tourists won’t be allowed to stay at night on the island in November. However, the tourists will be allowed to stay over in the island in the next two months. However, the number of tourists cannot exceed 2,000 a day. Besides, there will be restrictions on turning on the lights at night, creating noise pollution on the island and holding barbecue parties.
However, the movement of the island bound ships is yet to be resumed. The island didn’t receive any tourists in November. The investors of the tourism sector are now divided on the government’s decision.
Former union parishad chairman of Saint Martin’s Island Firoz Khan told Prothom Alo, “Usually tourists start visiting the island from the end of October every year. However, there were problems in running island bound ships and vessels due to the firing in the Rakhine state of Myanmar on the other side of river Naf. Fire was opened targeting the island bound vessels too. After that, an alternative route from the Inani Jetty of the Marine Drive in Cox’s Bazar was introduced. The ships and vessels moved along this new route for several months. However, the residents of the island are frustrated this time as vessel movement hasn’t started this year as yet.”
The incumbent chairman of Saint Martin’s Island Nur Ahmed said, “The residents of the island are not being able to move through trawlers and speedboats even for emergency purposes. Even the residents of the island now have to take permission from the authorities for movement.”
Staff Correspondent &
Correspondent
Cox’s Bazar and Teknaf
Updated: 20 Nov 2024, 23: 02
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has formed a joint committee to regulate tourists and authorised vessels in Saint Martin’s Island.
The tourists will have to abide by a set of rules and follow a registration process for visiting Saint Martin’s Island. The newly formed joint committee will look after the entire process.
The committee was formed as per the order of senior assistant secretary of the ministry Sabrina Rahman on Tuesday. The upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Cox’s Bazar Sadar and Teknaf upazila has been made the convener of the committee and deputy director of the Department of Environment in Cox’s Bazar has been made the member secretary of the committee.
Representatives from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, Bangladesh Tourism Board in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh Coast Guard and the Tourist Police in Cox’s Bazar will be the members of the committee.
The letter containing the order also describes the entire process to visit Saint Martin’s Island. It says the tourists will have to get the travel pass at the entry point (the place where the passengers will board the ship) through registration using the app developed by the Bangladesh Tourism Board. The committee will ensure that the passengers carrying a travel pass board on an authorised vessel.
A ban has been imposed on the polythene and one-time polythene products on the authorised vehicles. The committee will be strict in this regard.
There will be records on registers regarding the hotels where the tourists are to stay after reaching the island. There will be billboards regarding what is allowed and not allowed for the tourists during the trip at the entry point of Saint Martin’s Island.
Cox’s Bazar office of the Environmental Department will coordinate the entire process. There will be options to further extend the committee for the sake of the work.
Confirming the formation of the committee, Cox’s Bazar additional district magistrate (ADM) Nizam Uddin Ahmed said the members of the committee had already started their work.
When asked, assistant commissioner (AC, land) on additional charge Teknaf UNO and convener of the committee Arif Ullah Nizami told Prothom Alo that he received the copy of the order today. The decision regarding the date of resuming tourism in Saint Martin’s will be taken in consultation with the higher authorities and other members of the committee.
Arif Ullah Nizami said after several days the Myanmar Military and the Arakan Army restarted exchanging fire from Tuesday afternoon, which continued till the afternoon today. There have been incidents of opening fire targeting the Saint Martin’s bound boats from the other side of river Naf.
In this situation, the committee is reconsidering their decision to resume tourism and movement of passenger vessels along river Naf. The committee is prioritising the security of the tourists. They are also searching for an alternative route at the same time.
Relevant sources say on 22 October, the environment ministry decided to limit tourists in Saint Martin's Island in Cox's Bazar during the peak season aiming to protect the country's lone coral island from environmental pollution caused by growing tourists.
Following that, a notification signed by deputy secretary Asma Shaheen published 28 October mentioned about implementing five things.
First, any vessel will have to take permission from the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and the environment ministry for movement along the Saint Martin’s route. Only after that, the Cox’s Bazar deputy commissioner will be able to issue permission for Saint Martin’s bound vessels and ships.
The notification further said the tourists won’t be allowed to stay at night on the island in November. However, the tourists will be allowed to stay over in the island in the next two months. However, the number of tourists cannot exceed 2,000 a day. Besides, there will be restrictions on turning on the lights at night, creating noise pollution on the island and holding barbecue parties.
However, the movement of the island bound ships is yet to be resumed. The island didn’t receive any tourists in November. The investors of the tourism sector are now divided on the government’s decision.
Former union parishad chairman of Saint Martin’s Island Firoz Khan told Prothom Alo, “Usually tourists start visiting the island from the end of October every year. However, there were problems in running island bound ships and vessels due to the firing in the Rakhine state of Myanmar on the other side of river Naf. Fire was opened targeting the island bound vessels too. After that, an alternative route from the Inani Jetty of the Marine Drive in Cox’s Bazar was introduced. The ships and vessels moved along this new route for several months. However, the residents of the island are frustrated this time as vessel movement hasn’t started this year as yet.”
The incumbent chairman of Saint Martin’s Island Nur Ahmed said, “The residents of the island are not being able to move through trawlers and speedboats even for emergency purposes. Even the residents of the island now have to take permission from the authorities for movement.”
