Season's First Ship MV Bar Aulia Sails to Saint Martin with 837 Tourists amid Strict Ban on Plastics

Tourist vessel services on the Cox's Bazar to Saint Martin route have begun, ending administrative complications and long uncertainty. On Thursday morning, the season's first ship, MV Bar Aulia, left the BIWTA ghat at Nuniyarchara in Cox's Bazar town for the coral island with 837 tourists on board.

Although the ship left the coast at around 7:30am as scheduled, crowds of travellers had been gathering at the Nuniyarchara ghat since 6am. When the ship's siren sounded after the long wait, a festive atmosphere spread across the ghat area. However, many passengers expressed dissatisfaction on the very first day over high ticket prices and hardship in ghat management.

From the first day of ship operations, the administration has taken a strict position to protect the island's environment and biodiversity. Officials of the district administration, the Department of Environment, BIWTA and the Coast Guard are performing coordinated duties at the Nuniyarchara ghat. Carrying single-use plastic bottles, polythene and soundboxes on the ship has been completely banned, and arrangements have been made to deposit them at designated places. The Coast Guard is also making announcements to raise awareness among tourists about environmental protection.

Khandaker Mahmud Pasha, deputy director of the Department of Environment's Cox's Bazar office, said entry into the keya forest, travel to Chhera Island, creating loud noise and holding parties on the beach at night are completely prohibited. He said, 'Arrangements have been made for single-use plastic bottles and other items carried by tourists to be left at designated places at the ghat. Several soundboxes have also been taken from tourists and kept with the ship owners.'

Mahmudur Rahman Sayem, executive magistrate of the tourism cell, said a total of 837 tickets were sold on the first day and that all of the government's environmental instructions are being properly communicated to tourists.

Hosain Islam Bahadur, general secretary of the Sea Cruise Operator Owners' Association of Bangladesh (SCOAB), the ship owners' organisation on the Saint Martin route, said, 'Today the season's first ship has begun its journey with 837 passengers. Through this, the decision imposed by the interim government is going to come to an end.'

Hosain Islam Bahadur said three ships have been permitted to operate this season. Only MV Bar Aulia sailed on the first day, and from Friday the other two ships, MV Karnaphuli and MV Teknaf, will begin carrying passengers. The three approved ships have a combined capacity of 2,298; MV Bar Aulia has 850 seats, Karnaphuli 732 and Teknaf 716. As scheduled, the ships will leave Cox's Bazar in the morning and make the return journey from Saint Martin between 2:30pm and 3:30pm.

Under the ministry's decision, tourist transport was supposed to begin on 1 November, but it was delayed to 5 November because of late administrative approval. Cox's Bazar Deputy Commissioner M A Mannan said one ship was approved to operate on Thursday considering tourists' pre-booked tickets.

Under government rules, Saint Martin will remain open for travel from 1 November to 15 March, during which a maximum of 3,500 tourists a day will be able to travel and stay overnight. A travel pass and a QR-coded ticket are mandatory for entry to the island, along with a Tk 100 environment development fee. Any activity that destroys natural resources including coral, sea turtles, birds, snails and algae is also strictly prohibited.