St. Martin Island residents leave road after 5 hours

Residents of 'Saint Martin Island' have lifted their roadblock in Cox's Bazar after five hours of protest.

On Tuesday (November 19), around 4.00pm, they temporarily lifted their blockade at Dolphin Intersection in Cox's Bazar after the district administration's assurance.

Md Yamin Hossain, additional deputy commissioner (General) of Cox's Bazar, who went to the spot, said, "We also agree with your reasonable demands. Your delegation has spoken to the DC sir and officials. The government has been informed about your demands. All demands will be accepted."

"Please move off the road for now. I hope it will be resolved soon," he added.

A representative of St. Martin Island residents, said, "We suspended the protest for the sake of tourists, but we won't return to the island until our demands are met."

Earlier today, around 11:00am, several hundred residents, joined by thousands of tourism sector employees from hotels, motels, and tour operators, blocked Dolphin Intersection in Kalatali.

Many protesters wore shrouds and lay down on the road, demanding the removal of tourist restrictions and permission for overnight stays on St. Martin Island, disrupting traffic in the city.

Rezaul Karim, president of the Tour Operators Association of Cox's Bazar (TUAC), said, "We are aware of St. Martin Island's environmental issues and believe the islanders must be involved in efforts to protect it."

Nilufa Yasmin Chowdhury, executive officer of Cox's Bazar Sadar Upazila, said, "A meeting is currently underway in Dhaka regarding the island issue, and the relevant parties have been informed about the matter."

Cox's Bazar Additional Superintendent of Police Md Jasim Uddin Chowdhury, said, "The roadblock was lifted at 4.00pm, and traffic has since returned to normal, with the overall situation now under control."