St Martin's Island
HC issues rule questioning bar on tourists, citizens
FE REPORT | Monday, 16 December 2024
The High Court (HC) on Sunday questioned the legality of the government's decision to impose restrictions on the movement and inhabitation of tourists and citizens on the environmentally critical Saint Martin's Island.
The concerned bodies of the government have been asked to explain in four weeks as to why the decision to impose the access restrictions to the island should not be declared illegal, according to a rule issued by the HC.
Environment and climate change secretary, director general of the Department of the Environment (DoE), the deputy commissioner of Cox's Bazar and others have been asked to comply with the rule.
The HC bench of Justice Farah Mahbub and Justice Debasish Roy Chowdhury passed the order after hearing a writ petition.
ANM Helal Uddin, president of Cox's Bazar Citizens Forum, filed the writ petition on November 21 this year challenging the legality of the decision.
Advocate Amir Hossain and Md Uzzal Hossain appeared in the court hearing for the writ petitioner, while Deputy Attorney General Md Tanim Khan represented the state.
In previous years, tourists were officially barred from visiting the island for six months of the year, only being allowed to visit from November to April.
However, in late October this year, the interim government decided to allow tourism for just three months of the year as part of efforts to protect the native biodiversity.
Tourists were allowed in Saint Martin Island in November, but the decision does not permit them to stay the nights.
Overnight stays have been allowed in December and January, but the decision stated that the number of tourists on the island cannot exceed 2,000 per day.
The island has been set to remain closed to tourists in February, when the authorities plan to conduct cleaning and conservation initiatives.
"The government decision is contradictory to Article 36 of the constitution, which guarantees freedom of movement." Lawyer Amir Hossain told reporters about the restriction imposed.