On the secluded shores of St Martin's Island, Bangladesh's only coral island, nature have been showing signs of healing to pristinity, however, uncertainity grips fishermen and those dependent on the tourism sector due to restrictions by the authorities, reports bdnews24.com.
Tourists have vanished due to environment ministry restrictions, while fishermen remain out of the sea under a fishing ban enforced by the Department of Fisheries and Livestock.
Caught between these two bans, the residents of St Martin's say they are grappling with extreme hardship. Among the island's 10,000 residents, around 70 per cent have become dependent on tourism over the past two and a half decades. The rest -- some 1,600 families -- rely solely on marine fishes for their livelihood.
Deprived of their lifeblood, the islanders are facing hard times, but nature on the island appears to be flourishing. With no outsiders, no noise, and no pollution, the island seems to have reverted to its pristine beauty -- as if nature is healing in solitude.
For islanders, though, the question lingers: why so much secrecy and restriction around the island while people are being pushed into extreme distress?
Some of that concern is reflected in the voice of Nurul Alam, president of the St Martin's Union unit of the BNP, who said only Allah can help the residents from the uncertainity.
When asked about this, Teknaf Upazila Executive Officer (UNO) Sheikh Ahsan Uddin said, "There are no restrictions on local residents' movement. However, personnel of various projects must obtain permission to travel."
He also said 76,000kg of rice have been sent to the island in recent days to address the emerging food shortage.
"The Ministry of Environment made the decision to restrict tourist travel primarily to conserve and protect the island's biodiversity," he added.
Over the past two and a half decades, the tourism industry on St Martin's Island has expanded significantly. Many locals have left farming and other professions to join the tourism trade, while some entrepreneurs from outside the island have also invested there.
Due to its geographical and climatic conditions, tourism in St Martin's has never been year-round. Officially, the tourism season usually runs from Oct 1 to Mar 31. In some years, if the weather permits, it extends unofficially until mid-April. In other words, islanders dependent on tourism conduct business for about five to five and a half months a year.
But following the change in government last year, the interim administration made some changes to that timeline. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change shortened the tourism season and imposed new restrictions.
In a sudden announcement in November, the ministry banned overnight stays on the island. In December and January, a limited number, up to 2,000 tourists a day, were allowed to stay overnight. Then, in February, a fresh directive from the ministry banned all tourist travel to the island for nine months, starting Feb 1.
At the same time, the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock issued a 58-day fishing ban, from Apr 15 to Jun 11, to allow for sustainable breeding, conservation, and production of marine fish.
Caught in the grip of these dual bans, residents of St Martin's say their hardship has only intensified.
After the tourism ban, residents came to Cox's Bazar and staged a road blockade in protest, voicing their plight.
Meanwhile, various rumours and politically charged speculation about St Martin's future have circulated on social media, further deepening anxiety among locals.
However, Zamir Uddin, director of the Department of Environment in Cox's Bazar, downplayed these concerns.
"The idea that residents will be relocated or the island handed over to someone else is just a rumour. The government wants to protect St Martin's as an eco-friendly island.
Former union council member and incumbent market committee chief Habibur Rahman described the government's handling of the situation as "mysterious".
"Without any clear justification, decisions are being made that effectively deprive more than 10,000 residents of their basic rights such as food, education, and healthcare," he said.
Describing the present conditions, Habibur added: "The island is facing extreme food shortages. First, the government abruptly shut down tourist access during the peak season, citing environmental concerns. Now, a 58-day fishing ban is in effect.
"As a result, the islanders are in serious trouble. There are no doctors in the hospital. Many residents have left for Teknaf and Cox's Bazar in search of work."
Island resident Noor Mohammad echoed the same concern, with a note of frustration.
"Because of the government's decisions, tourism-dependent locals are starving. If this continues, we're headed for a full-scale famine," he said.
"There are projects underway for sterilising, feeding, and treating stray dogs on the island, but no one seems accountable when it comes to feeding starving humans."
Now, with only two months of operational time, staying afloat in the tourism business has become nearly impossible. They said the government must reconsider the restrictions.
Maulvi Abdur Rahman had left farming to try his luck in the burgeoning tourism industry, selling his farmland and taking out bank loans to invest. Over the years, he built up a stable business. Banking on its income, he enrolled both his daughters in private medical colleges, dreaming of a bright future.
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