Teknaf-St Martin tourist vessel service suspended from Feb 10

Amid the continued Myanmar border tension, Bangladesh decided to suspend the movement of tourist ships on Teknaf-Saint Martin from Saturday.

The administration on Wednesday night said operations of all tourist boats from Teknaf to St Martin will be suspended from Saturday until further notice due to security reasons. It means all ships will be in operation till Friday.

Teknaf Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Adnan Chowdhury said that although the movement of the tourist ships from Teknaf will remain suspended, the ships from Chattogram and Cox‍‍`s Bazar will continue to operate.

Cox‍‍`s Bazar District Administration Tourism Cell Executive Magistrate Mohammad Masud Rana said 10 tourist ships are plying the Teknaf-St Martin route.

The people of the border areas of Bandarban and Cox‍‍`s Bazar are under threat for last few weeks due to the fighting between Myanmar government forces and rebel group Arakan Army near the border.

Meanwhile, tension is increasing on the Naikhongchhari border in Bandarban as the violent bconflict in Myanmar has not stopped. Firing is still going on on the other side of the border.

Locals are fleeing their homes in panic as gunfire has increased in the border areas of Ghumdhum and Tumbru over the last few days. In the last few days of conflict inside Myanmar, life on the other side has come to a standstill, and local residents are living in fear.

After inspecting the border situation on February 6, Bandarban Deputy Commissioner Shah Mojahid Uddin urged locals to remain alert in the Ghumdhum border area of Naikhongchhari as well as to go to the shelter centres. BGB’s Director General Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui also urged the border residents to go to safe shelters.