Tourist travel to Saint Martin’s Island, Bangladesh’s only coral island, has officially been suspended for a nine-month period starting from February 1.
The move follows the conclusion of a restricted three-month tourism window that saw approximately 117,000 visitors travel to the Bay of Bengal destination.
Although the season technically began in November, local operators noted that significant footfall only occurred in December and January, as the government had prohibited overnight stays during the first month.
On Saturday afternoon, the island transitioned from a bustling hub to a quiet sanctuary as the final 3,000 people—including tourists, hotel staff and local business owners—departed on six dedicated ships and several wooden trawlers.
By 4 pm, over 200 hotels, resorts, and restaurants had shuttered their doors. Additional District Magistrate Md Shahidul Alam confirmed that the final transport vessels reached the island empty on Saturday morning specifically to ferry back the remaining 2,500 tourists and 500 hospitality workers to Cox’s Bazar.
The suspension is part of a strict 12-point directive issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change to restore the island’s fragile ecosystem.
Under these rules, Saint Martin remains closed from February to October, with tourism capped at 2,000 visitors daily during the open months.
The guidelines strictly prohibit nighttime beach lighting, loud music, barbecues and motorized vehicles on the sand.
Furthermore, the use of single-use plastics and polythene is heavily discouraged to protect the area, which was declared an Ecologically Critical Area in 1999 and a marine protected area in 2023.
Environmental officials are optimistic about the impact of these restrictions.
Md Jamir Uddin, Director of the Department of Environment in Cox's Bazar, told the BSS that the controlled tourism model is already showing results, with the island’s biodiversity showing signs of healing.
As the island begins its nine-month hiatus, the focus remains on preserving the unique corals, sea turtles, and marine life that define this national treasure.
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