St Martin’s Island: Rumours, restrictions and the struggle to survive
PARBATTA NEWS ONLINE DESK
For decades, St Martin’s — Bangladesh’s only coral island — has been a place of pride and beauty, drawing visitors from across the country and beyond. Tourism reshaped life here: once dependent on fishing, residents opened hotels, motels and resorts, while modern tourist ships brought crowds during the season, creating jobs and prosperity.
But today the mood on the island is very different. Since the interim government took office a year ago, a series of unofficial restrictions have sharply reduced travel. Even relatives of islanders struggle to visit, residents say, with entry now requiring national identity cards. The sudden collapse of tourism has left families without work, forcing many to migrate.
The ban came suddenly in the middle of last year’s tourist season, when authorities cited environmental concerns. Since then, more than 10,000 residents have faced hardship. This year’s monsoon brought fresh challenges — severe coastal erosion and what locals describe as famine.
The restrictions have also fuelled speculation. Some islanders, speaking anonymously, claim the area is being cleared for use as a US naval base. Officials reject the rumour, saying instead that a master plan is being prepared to restore the fragile ecosystem and regulate tourism.
In an August 8 press release, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change said it had launched “landmark initiatives” to protect biodiversity and tackle climate change. Restricting uncontrolled tourism, it argued, was part of that effort.
Yet islanders question whether conservation is being pursued at their expense. They point to the absence of embankments, which left the island exposed when tidal surges struck at full force this year, devastating homes and infrastructure.
Erosion has been an issue since the cyclones of 1991 and 1994, which damaged the rocky barriers around the island. Two villages, Uttar Para and Deil Para, disappeared, and erosion has continued since. New resorts and businesses have further stripped away dunes and vegetation, weakening natural defences.
Elders say they have never seen tidal surges as strong as this monsoon. “If embankments are not built quickly, St Martin’s may vanish one day and become a part of history,” one resident warned.
Asked about the restrictions, Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sheikh Ehsan Uddin said there is no written ban, but access has been limited on ministry orders. He added that efforts were being made to create employment for islanders.
For now, residents of St Martin’s remain caught between environmental policy and daily survival, watching the sea claim more of their land and wondering how long their island home will endure.
