Cox’s Bazar, Dec 01 (V7N) – Ship traffic between Cox’s Bazar and St. Martin’s Island reopened on Monday, with authorities allowing tourists to stay overnight on the coral island for the next two months. Three ships set sail early in the morning, marking the start of this season’s tourism flow.

The vessels departed from the BIWTA Ghat at Nuniarachara at 7:15 am, carrying 1,106 tourists on the first trip of the Cox’s Bazar–St. Martin route. Officials confirmed that a maximum of 2,000 tourists will be allowed to visit the island each day.

Cox’s Bazar Additional District Magistrate Shahidul Alam said that four ships — MV Karnaphuli Express, MV Baro Aulia, Keary Sindabadon, and Keary Cruise and Dine — have been permitted to operate until January 31. He reiterated that all 12 government directives issued to protect St. Martin’s fragile biodiversity would be strictly enforced.

According to the instructions, tourists must purchase tickets exclusively from the authorized online platform of the Bangladesh Tourism Board. Each ticket will contain a travel pass and QR code, while tickets without QR codes will be treated as counterfeit.

Environmental restrictions include bans on nighttime beach lighting, loud events, barbecues, entering forested areas, and the collection or sale of key fruits. Activities harmful to sea turtles, birds, corals, king crabs and other biodiversity are strictly prohibited. The use of motor vehicles such as motorcycles and sea bikes, along with polythene and single-use plastics, has also been discouraged.

The government introduced these 12 directives last October in an effort to preserve the ecological balance of Bangladesh’s only coral island.

END/SMA/AJ