Tourism in Bangladesh’s only coral island St Martin’s faces crisis due to a ban on overnight stays putting local business in deep crisis.
With the tourism season having begun in November, not a single vessel has departed for the island so far this year despite administrative approval for tourist vessels to operate on the Cox’s Bazar–St Martin’s route leaving residents gripped by anxiety and economic despair.
The island, which depends entirely on tourism, has effectively become cut off from the mainland. Hotels, restaurants, shops and transport services remain standstill.
The usually bustling jetty, once alive with visitors from morning until sunset, now lies almost deserted.
St Martin’s Hotel and Restaurant Owners’ Association president MA Rahim Jihadi said restrictions are worsening the crisis.
“The government has permitted visitors from November but banned overnight stays. Tourists lose interest because of that. And now, with no ships running, travel is impossible. Most islanders are living in hardship,” he said.
Local businessman Jasim Uddin, who owns two shops at the jetty, said his livelihood has collapsed.
“I can’t even collect rent from my shops. I can’t pay my workers. Some days we eat once, some days not at all. Survival itself has become difficult,” he said.
Resident Zia Khan described the same desperation. “Last year, we had only two months of tourism. That income helped us survive for a few months. Since then, everything has stopped. Now my whole family is battling poverty,” he said.
Electric bike driver Md Rahim said operating his vehicle no longer makes sense.
“With no tourists, I can’t even recover the cost of charging the battery. I spend Tk 500 a day and earn less than Tk 200. Driving now means running at a loss,” he said.
Around 200 hotels, motels and restaurants currently stand nearly empty.
Abdul Malek, director of Sea Coral Beach Resort, said bookings have vanished.
“Staff are sitting idle, and we have no idea when ships will resume. Business owners have lost all direction,” he said.
Local representatives say nearly 80 per cent of the island’s population depends directly or indirectly on tourism.
Acting chairman of St Martin’s Union Parishad, Fayezul Islam, warned of a looming humanitarian disaster.
“People’s income has completely stopped. Many have already left the island in search of work. Those who remain are surviving with great difficulty. If vessels do not resume soon, a major humanitarian crisis will unfold,” he said.
Environmental experts acknowledge that years of uncontrolled tourism damaged the island’s fragile ecosystem. They argue that some restrictions are necessary but stress the need for balanced policies to protect both nature and livelihoods.
The small island, spanning roughly 8 square kilometres and home to about 10,000 residents, is known for its corals, coconut groves and turquoise waters.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) jetty at Nuniyarchhara in Cox’s Bazar was meant to be the departure point for St Martin’s tourist vessels. Under existing regulations, ships are not allowed to operate from the Bangladesh Navy jetty at Inani.
A recent letter from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change — forwarded to the Ministry of Shipping, BIWTA and the Department of Shipping reiterated these restrictions. Signed by Deputy Secretary Abdullah Al Mamun, the letter issued five directives.
It noted that in April 1999, the ministry declared the Cox’s Bazar–Teknaf coastline an Ecologically Critical Area (ECA). The ECA includes Cox’s Bazar municipality’s coastline, Inani mouza and St Martin’s Island.
Under Section 5(4) of the Bangladesh Environment Conservation Act 1995 (amended 2010), no harmful ‘activities or processes’ may be initiated or continued in areas declared ecologically critical.
