Saint Martin’s Island to reopen for tourists from November 1

Dhaka: The government has set a series of conditions for tourist travel to Saint Martin’s Island, allowing visits from November 1, 2026, to March 15, 2027, while restricting the number of daily visitors to protect the ecologically critical island.

Under the new guidelines, no tourist vessel will be allowed to operate without approval from the relevant authorities, including the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority and the Department of Environment.

The decisions were taken at an inter-ministerial meeting held on October 12, chaired by Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo. The ministry issued a notice outlining the decisions on October 25.

According to the notice, tourist vessels operating from Cox’s Bazar will be required to comply with the prescribed conditions.

The number of tourists visiting the island will be capped at 3,500 per day. Each visitor will also have to pay BDT 100 as an environmental conservation fee.

The Department of Environment will take necessary measures under the Ecologically Critical Area Management Rules 2016 to ensure compliance with the environmental protection requirements.

The relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, the Ministry of Shipping, the Department of Environment, the Cox’s Bazar district administration, the Bangladesh Tourism Board, and law enforcement agencies, have been asked to implement the decisions.