St Martin will reopen to tourists tomorrow with strict eco-friendly rules
File photo
By Ibrahim Khalil Mamun
COX'S BAZAR, October 31, 2025 (BSS) – Saint Martin's Island will reopen to tourists tomorrow after a nine-month closure, with a strict daily cap of 2,000 visitors to help protect its fragile ecosystem and biodiversity.
To this end, the government has issued 12 guidelines to ensure responsible and environmentally friendly tourism.
Cox's Bazar Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) MD Shahidul Alam said the 12 government policies will be strictly implemented to protect the island's biodiversity.
To enhance security, passenger ships will now depart from Cox's Bazar city and cross the Bay of Bengal to reach Saint Martin's Island, replacing the previous route of Teknaf, he added.
The coral-rich island has been closed since February 1 this year. Tourism activities are permitted from November to January.
According to the Department of Environment (DoE), the temporary closure resulted in notable improvements in the island's environmental health and biodiversity.
Home to 1,076 documented species, Saint Martin's Island has been subject to ecological stress due to unregulated infrastructure development, overcrowding and pollution.
Authorities hope the new guidelines will help protect the island's natural heritage while allowing controlled tourism.
Residents said that in the past, easybikes (e-rickshaws) and motorbikes on the beach during peak season resulted in the death of various marine animals such as snails and mussels. In the last nine months, these species have been able to multiply due to the absence of tourists. The collection of corals and algae was also stopped.
Advocate Mujibul Haque, chairman of Youth Environment Society (YES) Cox's Bazar, said the first nine months of restricted tourism had significantly improved the environment on the island. Red crabs and marine animals are now breeding on the beaches and nesting sites for mother turtles have emerged, he added.
Bangladesh Tourism Board deputy director Mohibul Islam said tourists have to buy tickets online through the board's approved web portal.
Each ticket will carry a ticket and a QR code and tickets without a QR code will be treated as fake, he said, adding that adequate arrangements have been made to enforce these rules.
Jamir Uddin, director of DoE Cox's Bazar office, said the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on October 22 will be fully implemented to protect the island's environment and biodiversity.
The key points of the 12 guidelines include: Only authorized vessels approved by the Ministry and BIWTA are allowed to sail; Daily tourist numbers are strictly controlled; no overnight stay is permitted in November; February remains completely closed; the use of motorized vehicles on the beach is prohibited; Harming wildlife, coral or marine life is strictly prohibited. Carrying single-use plastics is not recommended. Tourists are advised to bring their own water bottles.
The government hopes that these measures will ensure responsible and environmentally friendly tourism while protecting St. Martin's fragile ecosystem.