The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change has announced that Saint Martin’s Island will be closed to tourists for nine months. This restriction will take effect from tomorrow, Saturday, and remain in place until October 30 of this year.

Typically, the government imposes a six-month travel ban on the island from April 1 to September 30 each year. However, the interim government has extended this year’s restriction by an additional three months, moving the starting date to February 1 instead of April 1 and extending the ban until October 31 instead of September 30.

Tourism industry stakeholders have expressed concerns over this decision. They note that the tourist season usually runs from October 1 to March 31 each year, but this year, travelers were only permitted until January 31. They argue that the travel period should have been extended until at least February 28 to support local businesses.

M.A. Abdur Rahim Jihadi, president of the Saint Martin Hotel, Motel, and Resort Owners’ Association, stated that such a situation had never occurred on the island before. He emphasized that if tourists stop visiting the island, residents will face severe economic hardship. Hundreds of people rely on tourism for their livelihoods, and he urged authorities to consider allowing visitors until February 28 on humanitarian grounds.

Mujibur Rahman, chairman of the Saint Martin Union Parishad, highlighted that the island’s 10,500 residents depend on tourism for their income. He pointed out that business owners earn enough during the tourist season to sustain themselves throughout the year. If ship services were allowed to continue until February, it would significantly benefit the local community.

Imran Hossain, Additional District Magistrate of Cox’s Bazar, stated that ships carrying tourists would be allowed to operate until January 31. After that date, no tourist vessels will be permitted to travel to the island. He mentioned that if the government decides to extend the travel period, necessary actions will be taken accordingly.

Additionally, the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change has introduced several other restrictions on tourism. In November, an overnight stay ban was imposed on tourists visiting the island. In December and January, a limit of 2,000 visitors per day was enforced, with overnight stays permitted. However, from February onward, all tourist activities will be prohibited.