The island of Saint Martin has been closed to tourists since November, although there is no official ban. Only residents of the island can go there, but they have to show their national identity cards to enter. Tourist ships or speedboats have not commenced operations and written permission is required for tourist travel on passenger trawlers. Official commentary says there are no restrictions, but in reality travel to St. Martin has become difficult.

Travel is hindered from all sides

Ayesha Siddika's family came from Rajshahi with their family to visit Saint Martin in November. Apart from Cox's Bazar beach, they had planned to visit Saint Martin. But it didn't happen because the travel was stopped.

Ayesha Siddika Papia expressed her regret at Shahpari Island Jetty Ghat in Teknaf. He was disappointed not to be able to come all the way to St. Martin.

'Very upset. Many are hopeful like us. We want to open this closure as soon as possible. So that they don't get upset like us.'

Papier's family could not go to St. Martin because tourist ships on the Teknaf to St. Martin route were closed. Tourist transport to Saint Martin uses the naval jetty set up at Inani Beach after it was closed in January last year due to the conflict in Myanmar's Rakhine. But since the Inani jetty has also been damaged, there is no opportunity for ships to move there.

Hossain Islam Bahadur, general secretary of the Sea Cruise Owners Association of Bangladesh, told the BBC that it is not possible for ships to return from Cox's Bazar during the day, so it is uncertain whether tourist ships will be able to start sailing to St. Martin in November.

He said, we are drowning in despair. The government's announcement that tourism is open in November is not consistent with reality. It was possible to sail from Teknaf by day. It is not possible to come and go from Cox's Bazar during the day. From Inani it is possible to go to Saint Martin in four hours. However, it is not possible to say whether the damaged jetty is scheduled to be repaired by November 22 or not.

Another quick way to travel to St. Martin is by speedboat. Speedboats are also now banned due to safety concerns. Speedboats are not allowed to operate without special permission.

The only service in operation to St. Martin is by service boat or trawler from Teknaf. Many adventure-seeking youngsters prefer to travel to St. Martin on trawlers, but tourism facilities do not offer that opportunity. Strict restrictions have been imposed on travel by trawlers. A lineman at the Teknaf Trawler Wharf clarified that trawler tickets are not issued without the written permission of St. Martin Island residents or administration.

On the other hand, the local administration is not giving any permission for travel. Notices have been posted on several walls in the Upazila Parishad stating that the Upazila administration is not giving any permission to travel to St. Martin from October 22.

If you want to go to St. Martin to collect news, Teknaf Ghat made it clear that you are not allowed. Lineman Omar Farooq said that the strict imposition of traffic is being imposed.

He said, 'The administration has restrictions. Outsiders are now prohibited. Only local people will go. No one but St. Martin's is forbidden to go.'

When asked what will happen when he gets up, he said, there is a check post and check the ID card, said Trawler Ghat Lineman Omar Farooq.

Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md. went to the office of the Upazila Nirbahi Officer to get permission to go to St. Martin. With Adnan Chowdhury. He said that permission is now not being given for tourism purposes. Now only those who go for urgent needs like NGO workers, research work or news gathering are allowed.

'The Coast Guard has told us to grant this permission. Other years it was not. It has been launched since this year. This permit will no longer be required if tourism resumes and ships ply. No more permission is required for ships, said Chowdhury.

This reporter had to face obstacles from the Coast Guard to travel on the speedboat despite having a written permission. Coastguard members from Shahpari's Dwip Ghat advised to go to trawler citing the prohibition of speed boat travel. We were detained for about 15-20 minutes and after several talks with the UNO and senior Coast Guard officer, we were released from the speedboat with a copy of the national identity card.

There is also a Coast Guard check post at Saint Martin. There you have to register your name and enter the island. Coast Guard station commander in St. Martin, Lt. I would like to meet Commander SM Rashad Haider and find out why travel is so strict.

The station commander said that steps are being taken as per the instructions of the government keeping in mind the security issue. They are monitoring to make sure no one comes to St. Martin to travel. The Coast Guard Station Commander also said that anyone who lands on the island of Saint Martin will be sent back.

'The movement is being controlled by coordination. There is really no barrier to those who have permission to come here. As Butt travel is still prohibited, they can also come when the travel starts.'

According to the government decision and the statement of the government's environment advisor on Monday, November 4, it is possible to visit St. Martin in November, but not to spend the night. When asked why the restrictions, Haider said, "We haven't received any instructions about starting (tourism) yet."

Anger and discontent across St. Martin

Coming to the island of St. Martin, most of the shops, hotels and restaurants built around tourism are closed. Most of the cottages, hotels, resorts found on island tours are not ready for tourism. All are closed.

Local tourism traders and outbound investors on the island said the crackdown on travel was unprecedented.

Outsiders who have invested in the island in the tourism sector are in dire straits. It is alleged that there is no opportunity to bring staff to prepare and provide services for tourism. Arifur Rahman Rimon came to the island preparing to start tourism in November. As tourism did not start, he was forced to return to Dhaka on November 5.

He said that due to lack of permission to travel, many people like him are not able to bring staff from outside and make proper preparations for the resort.

"We have been doing business in St. Martin for eight to ten years and have never encountered such a situation. I had to get permission in four or five steps. Normally we are never like that. We visit Saint Martin all year round. Now I have only two staff members in the whole resort and the rest cannot come. Two of my staff have left after coming to Teknaf and I could not make any arrangements to bring them.'

Besides, according to the government's new decision, 2,000 tourists can go to Saint Martin every day in December and January. On the 5th of November there was a protest march and human chain by the traders and local residents of the island.

A person present there said, 'Those who are related to this island from other areas also could not come. If the bride brought the bride, the bride could not come, if the son-in-law, the son-in-law could not come. So we did not understand what kind of freedom it is.'

Associated with the resort business. Jassim said that measures should be taken with equal importance to the lives and livelihoods of the island's ten thousand people in Saint Martin and the environment.

'It is not possible for us to run twelve months with two months of tourism. If the tourists don't come, I can't fast. It means that a stage is passing that we will have to leave this island.'

One of the leaders of the movement and president of local BNP, Nurul Alam, complained that the Coast Guard is also seeking permission to buy the goods of the shop. He said, 'Sovereign country, independent country, if I can go from here to remote areas in every district of Bangladesh, why can't my people of Bangladesh come freely as part of my Saint Martin Bangladesh?'

Besides, the issue of crisis in the isolated island's only hospital has also been brought forward. Locals said that the common people are not getting any emergency medical services in Saint Martin. Because there are no doctors, nurses, medical lab technologists in the hospital of Bish Pulja for the last month.

The islanders believe that issues such as the emergency medical care crisis, travel restrictions and other issues are creating an atmosphere of suspicion, mistrust and rumors surrounding the island of St. Martin.

Meanwhile, the government says that various rumors are being spread about Saint Martin Island. It has been urged not to be confused by refuting these rumors through social media. At the same time, the Office of the Chief Adviser also pointed out that there is no plan to lease St. Martin Island to foreigners.

Abdul Malek, a resident of the island, said, 'The current interim government has imposed a policy ban on St Martin. Then the work of the current government is matching with the words of the former prime minister. From this point of view, the people of the island will definitely panic.'

However, it is being said by the government that the Ministry of Environment has decided to limit tourism in St. Martin in order to protect the coral island's biodiversity.

"Forty-one percent of the coral reefs are depleted, this is the national statistic," the environmental adviser told reporters on Monday. All accepted international journals say that if this continues, by 2045 all the corals will be destroyed and the island of St. Martin will sink, then where will the tourism be?

He said that we will save Saint Martin and at the same time we must save tourism. We have not banned tourism.