Tourist ships on Teknaf-Saint Martin's route to operate from Friday

Tourist ships on Teknaf-Saint Martin's Island route are going to resume operation more than three months after the service was suspended following a navigability crisis in the Naf River.

Four ships will leave Damdamiya Ghat for Saint Martin's Island on Friday (12 January) morning as the embargo on ship movement on the route was lifted at a meeting held at Cox's Bazar Deputy Commissioner's office on Thursday (12 January).

Earlier on 11 January, at an inter-ministerial meeting, the Ministry of Shipping asked the authorities concerned to hold another meeting in Cox's Bazar regarding the movement of tourist ships on the Teknaf-Saint Martin route.

Later on Thursday, the meeting was held under the chairmanship of Cox's Bazar Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Shahin Iqbal, said Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mohammad Kamruzzaman who was also present.

Admin officials of Teknaf upazila, BGB, coast guard, police, and public representatives, tourism business leaders were present there.

President of Tour Operators' Association of Cox's Bazar Anwar Kamal said, "Four ships from Teknaf Ghat will ply the route between Teknaf and Saint Martin's island regularly from Friday morning."

At a seminar in Cox's Bazar on 29 September, Secretary for the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism Mokammel Hossain announced the suspension of tourist ships on the Teknaf-Saint Martin's route until further notice after a navigability crisis arose in the Naf River.