My
destination was
a place of pristine
beauty, the only
coral island of
Bangladesh. It
was Saint Martin's,
where the first
sign of civilization
appeared about
400 years back
with some fishermen
from Bangladesh
establishing settlements.
Earlier on loggers
would come from
Burma in boats
to chop coconut
trees and take
them back.
Not too far away,
Cheera Dip, which
is part of St.
Martin's and remains
separated at high
tide, is still
uninhabited. Word
has it that Cheera
was once rich
in trees and various
stones. But that's
all gone now.
Just to kill my
curiosity I asked
why? "By
the will of God,"
replied Rashidullah,
who was traveling
with me on the
bus to Teknaf.
A farmer by profession,
Rashidullah lives
on a nearby island
"Shaha Pori."
At 9:15 on the
morning of 10th
March 2007 the
bus dropped me
off at Taknaf.
I had hoped to
travel to St.
Martin's from
Teknaf on the
Sea Track, but
the liner had
already left when
I reached there.
Unwillingly and
fearfully, I boarded
a trawler to journey
into the Bay of
Bengal. As the
trawler passed
the river Naf
and almost reached
the mouth of the
bay, panic gripped
me and I decided
to start a conversation
with the trawler
captain, Javed,
just to keep myself
preoccupied.
Javed told me
many known-and-unknown
stories of St.
Martin's.
The dumbbell-shaped
St. Martin's is
about 8 sq kilometers
in area and gets
about one to four
meters high above
sea level during
high tides. Legend
has it that jinn
attracted by the
beauty of the
island would come
here on a pilgrimage
(orosh), and after
having walked
around the island,
the tired jinn
would take rest
under the cool
shadow of coconut
trees. So the
early inhabitants
named this island
"Narikel
Jinjira."
The people of
St. Martin's are
mostly engaged
in farming and
fishing. They
produce dal (lentil),
paddy and small
onions. They take
trawlers to catch
fish, and to preserve
their catch they
dry it under the
sun to make shutki.
It was only five
years back that
tourism began
to develop here.
But the tourist
season lasts only
3 months-from
end of December
to end of March.
During this time,
hotel and motels
are packed. Not
surprisingly,
rents are high
to make up for
running the establishments
for the entire
year. During the
tourist season,
a motel room can
cost you between
Taka 600 and Taka
700 per night,
and a hotel room
between Taka 1500
and Taka 1600.
Although St. Martin's
is now a major
tourist destination,
it remains cut
off from the national
electrical grid.
Locals have to
use generators
to light up bulbs
at night.
While nature gives,
it also takes
back. During the
monsoon, tides
are high and cyclones
are plenty. Teknaf
has a meteorological
office, which
relays weather
reports to a base
station on the
island. The authorities
then warn the
inhabitants of
the island of
impending cyclones
by making announcements
on mikes. "We
leave the rest
to Allah,"
said Javed.
The trawler took
two full hours
to reach St. Martin's.
As I walked past
the jetty, I found
a few vendors
selling shutki.
They told me that
the specialty
of the island
was coral fish
fry. I had not
had breakfast
in Teknaf and
by now I was famished.
I spotted a nearby
restaurant and
decided to give
myself a treat.
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