COX'S BAZAR, Jan 30: A direct sea route between Cox's Bazar and St. Martin's has been launched easing further transportation between the Cox's bazar city and the coral island in the Bay of Bengal.
Passengers usually use the Teknaf point, nearly 80 kilometres off Cox's Bazar, to travel to the Saint Martin's Island, a small but immense tourist attraction in the northeastern part of the Bay of Bengal. The island is 30km off Teknaf.
But the ship will ply directly from Cox's Bazar to the Island, a distance of only 95km.
A new company styled Karnaphuli Express Limited on Thursday announced that the luxury passenger ship would leave Cox's Bazar town for St. Martin's each morning.
The cruise ship will begin its journey today (Friday) from the Cox's Bazar BIWTA terminal. The MV Karnaphuli Express will reach St Martin's Island crossing 95 km of the sea from Cox's Bazar.
Shipping Minister Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury formally inaugurated the cruise ship at the Nuniarchara BIWTA terminal of Cox's Bazar town on Thursday noon.
During inaugural speech the minister said the luxury ship will boost the tourism industry in Cox's Bazar.
"This is a new era in promoting tourism in the region," Mr Chowdhury said.
Local MP Ashek Ullah Rafiq, secretary of the shipping ministry Mohammad Abdus Samad, director of the Directorate of Inland Navigation Commodore Sayed Ariful Islam, Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Kamal Hossain, Police Superintendent ABM Masud Hossain, Police Superintendent (Tourist Police) Zillur Rahman and Managing Director of MV Karnaphuli Express Engineer MA Rashid spoke at the function.
When contacted, director of the cruise ship M Hossainul Islam Bahadur told the FE that the MV Karnaphuli Express is the only one commercial luxury tourist cruise ship of the country.
"Tourists will enjoy blue sea, high hills and beautiful sunset during the St. Martin's journey," Bahadur said.
He said the 55-metre long and 11-metre wide ship can run 12 nautical miles per hour.
It has 582 seats. Of them, 510 tourists can travel in the economy class.
Every day the ship will start at 7.00 am from Cox's Bazar BIWTA terminal and reach Saint Martin's jetty terminal at around 12.00 noon.
The ship authority fixed fare for a round trip at Tk 2,000 (economy class), Tk 2,500 (business class), Tk 12,000 per cabin and Tk 15,000 per luxury cabin
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