Wednesday, 03 December, 2025
Three tourist ships have set sail for Saint Martin’s Island on the first trip of the new tourist season, carrying around 1,200 passengers from Cox’s Bazar.
The vessels — MV Karnafuly Express, MV Bar-Awlia and KEARI Sindbad — departed at about 7:15 am on Monday from the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) jetty at Nuniachhara in Cox’s Bazar city.
Travellers from different parts of the country began arriving at the jetty before dawn to join the inaugural sailing to the coral island. Before boarding and taking their seats using pre-purchased tickets, each passenger was presented with an “environment-friendly” reusable water bottle as a gift from the local administration.
In line with government directives, a maximum of 2,000 tourists per day will be allowed to travel to Saint Martin’s on authorised vessels. Overnight stays on the island will be permitted for the next two months, until January 31.
Tickets must be bought through an online platform accredited by the Bangladesh Tourism Board. Each ticket will carry a travel pass and a QR code; any ticket without a QR code will be treated as counterfeit.
Hossain Islam Bahadur, general secretary of the Sea Cruise Operators Owners Association of Bangladesh, said the authorities have cleared six ships to operate on the route, but only three sailed on Monday based on the expected number of passengers. Daily departure times have been fixed according to the tides and navigability of the channel. The ships are scheduled to leave Saint Martin’s in the afternoon and return to Cox’s Bazar the same day.
Speaking to reporters at the BIWTA jetty ahead of the first departure, Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner Md Abdul Mannan said the district administration was determined to enforce the directives governing trips to the island and appealed for full cooperation from tourists and all stakeholders.
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Three tourist ships have set sail for Saint Martin’s Island on the first trip of the new tourist season, carrying around 1,200 passengers from Cox’s Bazar.
The vessels — MV Karnafuly Express, MV Bar-Awlia and KEARI Sindbad — departed at about 7:15 am on Monday from the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) jetty at Nuniachhara in Cox’s Bazar city.
Travellers from different parts of the country began arriving at the jetty before dawn to join the inaugural sailing to the coral island. Before boarding and taking their seats using pre-purchased tickets, each passenger was presented with an “environment-friendly” reusable water bottle as a gift from the local administration.
In line with government directives, a maximum of 2,000 tourists per day will be allowed to travel to Saint Martin’s on authorised vessels. Overnight stays on the island will be permitted for the next two months, until January 31.
Tickets must be bought through an online platform accredited by the Bangladesh Tourism Board. Each ticket will carry a travel pass and a QR code; any ticket without a QR code will be treated as counterfeit.
Hossain Islam Bahadur, general secretary of the Sea Cruise Operators Owners Association of Bangladesh, said the authorities have cleared six ships to operate on the route, but only three sailed on Monday based on the expected number of passengers. Daily departure times have been fixed according to the tides and navigability of the channel. The ships are scheduled to leave Saint Martin’s in the afternoon and return to Cox’s Bazar the same day.
Speaking to reporters at the BIWTA jetty ahead of the first departure, Cox’s Bazar Deputy Commissioner Md Abdul Mannan said the district administration was determined to enforce the directives governing trips to the island and appealed for full cooperation from tourists and all stakeholders.
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