The Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) has warned of initiating significant protests if the government restricts tourist visits and overnight stays on St Martin’s Island.
The association president, Mohammad Rafeuzzaman, came up with the warning at a press conference organized by the St. Martin's Island Environment and Tourism Protection and Development Alliance, held in the auditorium of the Economic Reporters Forum (ERF) in Dhaka on Sunday.
Local leaders from St Martin’s, including Shiblul Azam Qureshi, Chairman of the St Martin's Island Environment and Tourism Protection and Development Alliance, Habibur Rahman, Chairman of HR Group and Alliance Publicity Secretary, and Imranul Alam, President of the E-Tourism Association of Bangladesh (E-TAB), also spoke at the event, said a press release.
Rafeuzzaman stated, “Despite our strong objections, the government has decided to limit overnight stays and tourist travel on St Martin’s. According to their plan, no tourists will be allowed to spend the night in November. In December and January, only 2,000 tourists will be permitted to visit and stay overnight. Furthermore, in February, all tourist travel to St Martin’s will cease.”
He emphasized that such restrictions would severely impact the tourism industry and threaten the livelihoods of entrepreneurs reliant on seasonal business.
The press conference highlighted that approximately 10,000 residents of St Martin’s depend on tourism for their livelihoods. If tourism is restricted or halted, many will be left unemployed, putting their financial investments at serious risk. Rafeuzzaman protested against the government’s decision and called for its immediate withdrawal.
Shiblul Azam Qureshi stressed the need to maintain the environmental balance on St. Martin Island by strictly prohibiting single-use plastics while allowing tourism, including overnight stays. He advocated for the establishment of an alternative route for travel from Teknaf to St Martin’s.
"We want to protect the environment and biodiversity of St. Martin, but not at the cost of halting tourism," he added. He called for measures to mitigate the adverse effects of tourism while preserving the island's environment. He proposed the installation of a water treatment plant to convert saltwater into fresh water, and to process decomposable waste into biogas.
Qureshi also urged that generators be banned on the island and replaced with environmentally friendly solar plants. He advocated for stricter controls on the use of bricks, sand, cement, and rods for permanent structures.