The government has agreed in principle to allow the resumption of tourist ship voyages on the Teknaf-St Martin’s Island route.
Authorities concerned have directed the Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner to meet local stakeholders, so that a date can be fixed for resuming such services after taking into account any environmental issues.
The decision came at an inter-ministerial meeting held at the Ministry of Shipping on Wednesday afternoon.
Industry insiders say they will start carrying passengers from Teknaf to the island as soon as the local administration gives a green light. The process should take a week or less.
Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh President Shiblul Azam Koreshi said, “Everyone at the meeting was positive about resuming ship services. The island dwellers and ship operators are now waiting to get the final nod.
“We will talk to Cox’s Bazar’s local administration as soon as possible.”
Mentioning that the discussion was positive at Wednesday’s meeting, Deputy Commissioner of Cox’s Bazar Muhammad Shaheen Imran said, “After we receive the meeting resolution, we will meet the stakeholders and fix a date. But we will review the ground reality before that.”
When asked about the ministry’s directions regarding environmental issues, he said, “We have been asked to take initiatives so that tourists do not harm the island’s environment. The ships will be allowed to sail from the Teknaf jetty like the previous years.
The authorities concerned had cited two reasons behind their decision for not allowing voyage on this route this season – lack of navigability in the Naf River and tensions on the border as the Myanmar military and Arakan Army fought in the Myanmar territory.
Every year, nearly ten ships operate on the route carrying hundreds of tourists to St Martin’s Island, the only coral island in Bangladesh, which has been an attractive tourist destination over the years.
The island is usually accessible for tourists from October to March when the Bay of Bengal remains calm.
Three luxurious ships are currently sailing from Cox’s Bazar and Chattogram to the island, but the journey is costly and time-consuming.
Some tourists are taking speedboats or trawlers to go to the island, but their journey is risky, especially when accompanied by their family members, tour operators said.
Inhabitants and businesses at the St Martin’s Island said they have been incurring heavy financial losses, and fearing a difficult time ahead as they largely depend on earnings from tourists during the season.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Md Mokammel Hossain at a seminar in Cox’s Bazar announced the suspension in September last year, citing lack of navigability and emergence of numerous shoals in the river.
He said the route would remain closed until further notice.
Following several protests staged by tourism stakeholders, the Ministry of Shipping announced its plan to hold a meeting with them on January 3 this year. Later, the meeting was deferred to January 11.
In November last year, stakeholders applied to the government to allow them resume ship services from Teknaf.
On December 13, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) submitted a report to the Ministry of Shipping saying that sailing on the Naf River will not be disrupted by shoals.
A stakeholder, who attended Wednesday’s meeting, told The Business Post on condition of anonymity, “The authorities have taken almost a month to hold this meeting after they received the BIWTA report.
“So, we have requested them not to delay the next meeting with local stakeholders in Cox’s Bazar.”
Presiding over the meeting, tourism Secretary Md Mokammel Hossain assured the stakeholders of speedy action in this regard.
At the inter-ministerial meeting, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Coast Guard mentioned that there is no tension on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border right now, and ships can voyage on the Naf River safely.
According to tour operators, five ships – MV Parijat, MV Rajhangsho, Keari Sindbad, Sukanta Babu and The Atlantic Cruise – currently have voyage licenses to operate in the route. More ship owners plan to apply for permission gradually.
