Indefinite Ban on St. Martin Travel

Cox’s Bazar district administration has decided to put an indefinite ban on travel to St. Martin due to the ongoing tension on the Myanmar border.

From February 10, travel to St. Martin from Cox’s Bazar and Teknaf will not be allowed. However, as an alternative, the district administration is thinking about keeping a route open from Nuniachara, Chittagong Cox’s Bazar.

on Wednesday (February 7) around 9:30 pm, Yamin Hossain, Cox’s Bazar Additional District Magistrate (ADM), confirmed the matter.

He informed that, in the interest of security, the district administration has announced the suspension of tourist ships from Teknaf to Saint Martin from February 10. Teknaf to Saint Martin connecting ship services will remain suspended until further notice. However, as an alternative route, plans to operate ships from Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar Nuniachara are being considered.

Hossain Bahadur, the Manager of the Karnaphuli ship, said, now is the tourist season. Tourists have not come so far due to the election. Tourists are increasing this month. If shipping is stopped this month too, we will face huge losses. So we have requested to continue the ship service from Cox’s Bazar or Chittagong.

Earlier on Wednesday morning, BGB Director General Major General Mohammad Ashrafuz Zaman Siddiqui, while inspecting Bandarban’s Tumbru and Ghumdhum borders and adjacent BOPs, suggested stopping travel on St. Martin’s route.

It should be noted that due to the ongoing conflict inside Myanmar, more than 300 members of the country’s Border Guard Force (BGP), Myanmar Army, Police, Immigration members and other organizations have entered Bangladesh. Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has disarmed them and given them safe shelter and is providing medical care to the injured.