St Martin’s Island reopened to overnight visitors on Monday after months of restrictions, drawing a strong turnout of 1,174 tourists on the first day under a tighter, eco focused regulatory regime.

Tourist Police said three vessels Keari Sindabad, MV Karnaphuli Express and MV Baro Aulia departed Coxs Bazars Nuniachhara jetty between 7 and 8 in the morning, officially relaunching controlled tourism to the country’s only coral island. Visitor access will remain open until January 31, with a strict daily cap of 2,000 people to reduce pressure on the fragile ecosystem.

Authorities began enforcement immediately. The Keari Sindabad was fined Tk 50,000 for issuing tickets without the mandatory online registration, Tourist Police officials confirmed. Additional DIG Apel Mahmud said law enforcement agencies would maintain a zero tolerance stance against irregularities and tourist harassment.

Multiple government bodies including the district administration, Department of Environment, BIWTA and other agencies monitored the jetty to ensure compliance with the governments 12 point directive aimed at preventing environmental damage and overcrowding.

In an effort to curb single use plastics, the Department of Environment distributed aluminium water bottles to every passenger boarding from the BIWTA jetty. Rising plastic waste has been a persistent concern on the island, officials said.

Local residents and tourism operators welcomed the first batch of visitors as the vessels reached St Martins later in the afternoon. Hossain Islam Bahadur, general secretary of the Sea Cruise Operator Owners Association of Bangladesh, said the opening day turnout reflected strong pent up demand after months of limited access.

Authorities, however, remain focused on maintaining strict visitor limits and environmental safeguards. UNO of Coxs Bazar Sadar Nilufa Yasmin Chowdhury, who heads the islands monitoring committee, said surveillance systems were in place to ensure tourist numbers do not exceed the approved threshold.

Under the renewed travel schedule, ships will depart Coxs Bazar each morning at 7am and begin their return journey from St Martins at 3pm the following day, reinstating overnight stays for the first time in several months.

While the reopening is expected to bring short term relief for local businesses, officials emphasise that protecting the islands delicate ecology remains the foremost priority amid ongoing threats from waste, haphazard development and unmanaged visitor flows