Islanders have formed a human chain and protested in St. Martin’s, Cox’s Bazar, demanding the lifting of government restrictions and opening up the travel of tourists in February. They held this program at St. Martin’s Station in Teknaf Upazila at 12 noon on Thursday (January 30).
In addition to islanders, local hotel-motel, cottage owners’ association, tour operator association, restaurant owners’ association, trawler owners’ association, speedboat owners’ association, van owners-workers’ association and market traders’ association participated in this human chain and protest program.
The speakers said that due to the limited travel of tourists due to government restrictions during the current tourism season, the islanders have faced various problems, and their suffering will increase further in the coming monsoon season. They demanded that the government take effective measures to continue the travel of tourists at least in February.
The rally after the human chain and protest march, chaired by Maulana Abdur Rahman, president of the St. Martin Bazar Association, was addressed by TUAK member Akhtar Nur, lawyer Kefayet Ullah Khan, local media activist Nur Mohammad, former UP member Habib Ullah Khan and hotel-motel businessman Jalal Uddin.
Teknaf UNO Sheikh Ehsan Uddin said that he knew about the human chain and had informed the matter to the high-level government officials including the District Commissioner.
According to the decision of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the last date for tourist travel to St. Martin is January 31. Tourist travel to the island will be banned from February. According to that decision, the movement of tourist ships from Cox’s Bazar to St. Martin is allowed until January 31. Although islanders and tourism-related businessmen have demanded an extension until February, there has been no change in this decision so far.
Cox’s Bazar Citizens Forum President A. N. M. Helal Uddin filed a writ petition in the High Court in this regard. The hearing was scheduled for January 28, but that did not happen. The court later set a new date for the hearing on February 4.
The outcome of this hearing will determine whether the case will be heard on January 31 of this year.
