C T Online Desk: Approximately 300 tourists, including students of Dhaka University and Jagannath University, stranded on Saint Martin’s Island since Wednesday are grappling with food shortages.
Due to deep low pressure in the Bay of Bengal, ship movement on the Teknaf-Saint Martin’s Island route was suspended, leaving these tourists, including university students stuck.
Hotels on the island are unable to offer the tourists preferred meals like meat, eggs, or vegetables – forcing them to only eat rice, lentils, and other dry foods.
On the other hand, due to the turbulent sea, fishing has been halted.
Jahidur Rahman, a tourist from Dhaka, said: “Last night, I had rice with lentils and mashed potatoes at a local hotel. But our children did not want to eat such food. Overall, the tourists are facing significant discomfort.”
Professor Dr Kazi Shakhawat Hossain, student adviser of the Botany Department of Jagannath University, said: “I spoke to those trapped in Saint Martin’s Island a while ago. They told me that the situation was still normal. There is enough dry food in stock.”
Bangladesh Meteorological Department issued a local cautionary signal no 3 for the Cox’s Bazar coastline on Tuesday, given the persistent strength of the low pressure in the Bay of Bengal, which remained strong even on Thursday.
On Saint Martin’s Island, around 300 tourists, including 74 students from Dhaka University’s History Department and 40 students and teachers from Jagannath University, have become stranded.
However, local ship owners said if the weather improves on Friday, the stranded tourists would be brought back to the mainland.
