Anyone visiting Saint Martin’s Island today is likely to see a Bangladesh Navy ship anchored just off the shoreline, symbolizing an unbroken military presence on one of the country’s most strategically sensitive maritime frontiers.
Naval officials say this year-round deployment is intended to both protect the island and respond swiftly to emerging threats at sea.
“The Navy remains on guard around Saint Martin’s Island at all times. Any threat or untoward incident is immediately addressed by the Navy,” a Navy officer serving at Saint Martin’s Island told Dhaka Tribune on Thursday, requesting anonymity.
Saint Martin’s, Bangladesh’s only coral island, is strategically located near international maritime boundaries and key regional shipping lanes.
Describing Saint Martin’s as extremely important and strategic, the officer said the Navy remains fully prepared 24 hours a day, with several vessels usually deployed in the surrounding waters.
Located on north-eastern part of the Bay of Bengal, the island covers about 8 square kilometres.
Naval personnel maintain 24-hour radar surveillance to prevent illegal intrusion or threats from neighbouring countries, particularly Myanmar.
According to international maritime law, Bangladesh has sovereignty over its territorial sea up to 12 nautical miles, can enforce laws in a contiguous zone up to 24 nautical miles, and holds rights to explore and manage resources in an exclusive economic zone extending up to 200 nautical miles from the coast.
Currently Navy has deployments in two forward bases and three contingents in the Cox's Bazar district alone.
The Navy’s posture around Saint Martin’s and the Teknaf coast has also been shaped by escalating instability just across the maritime boundary in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, where the Arakan Army has expanded control and clashed with both junta forces and Rohingya armed groups.
Security assessments note that fighting and stray gunfire from the Myanmar side, as well as reported abductions of Bangladeshi fishermen by Arakan Army fighters in recent years, have heightened the need for constant vigilance along the sea and land borders facing Rakhine.
Officials said coordination among the Navy, BGB, Coast Guard, and other agencies along the stretch from Teknaf to Saint Martin’s waters is intensified to prevent cross-border incursions, while reassuring coastal communities and tourists.
While talking with Dhaka Tribune, a senior Navy officer said: "There is a thin maritime line between Myanmar and Bangladesh at a point of the Naaf River beside Teknaf. Sometimes, fishermen cross that line and enter Myanmar's water boundary, which is why incidents of abduction of fishermen occur."
“We are raising awareness among our fishermen so that they cannot cross the maritime boundary, but sometimes fishermen do make mistakes. There’s no way that any other country will abduct our citizens from our water boundary,” that official stressed.
Naval officials say they are also working to counter rumours and misinformation circulating about security activities and future plans for Saint Martin’s Island, which they claim are creating unnecessary fear and confusion among locals and potential visitors.
They stress that unverified reports shared on social media about evacuations, large-scale militarization or restrictions on access to the island are baseless, urging the public to rely on official statements rather than speculation.
“There is a lot of propaganda surrounding St Martin’s Island. Claims that the island is being taken over by another country are completely baseless and spread using edited images and videos from routine bilateral naval exercises,” a Navy Officer stationed at Saint Martin’s said.
He added that the Navy regularly conducts joint and bilateral exercises with foreign navies to build professional capacity and mutual understanding.
“Our Navy operates according to international standards, and these exercises help us identify areas for improvement,” he said.
Navy personnel conduct day-and-night maritime patrols to prevent illegal transport, enforce bans on prohibited nets, and monitor suspicious movements.
Earlier this month, a Navy warship intercepted a wooden trawler carrying 273 people approximately 30 nautical miles southwest of Saint Martin’s.
According to naval sources, the passengers were attempting to leave Bangladesh illegally, with traffickers promising transport to Malaysia.
Women and children were among those on board, and the boat lacked basic life-saving equipment, food, or drinking water.
All 273 detainees, including suspected traffickers, were handed over to Teknaf police and local authorities for legal action.
Beyond Saint Martin’s, the Navy has intensified operations in Teknaf under In Aid to Civil Power after the July–August mass uprising.
Teknaf is considered a high-risk area for drug trafficking, human trafficking, and illegal arms trade.
Since February last year, naval contingents have conducted 70 targeted special operations, including 34 unilateral and 36 joint operations across land, river, and coastal areas.
These operations led to the seizure of 1,45,572 yaba tablets, crystal meth, cannabis, 600 litres of illicit liquor, 25,000 litres of raw alcohol materials, 31 locally made firearms, eight foreign pistols, 10 grenades, and ammunition.
More than 200 trafficking victims were rescued, while 28 suspects were arrested during Operation Devil Hunt.
Officials serving at the Taknaf Naval Contingent said such seizures underscore the Teknaf–Cox’s Bazar coastal belt as a nexus for overlapping criminal activities linked to trafficking networks on both sides of the border.
The Navy also provides humanitarian support on Saint Martin’s as the island’s 20-bed hospital lacks doctors and X-ray facilities, prompting regular free medical camps.
During natural disasters, such as the May 25 cyclone, the Navy rapidly delivers food, relief, and winter supplies to the islanders.
In maritime accidents, Navy personnel regularly conduct immediate rescue operations.
While visiting the island last week, it was observed that members of the Naval Forward base St Martin’s were distributing warm clothes among the poor islanders on Thursday at their base.
With the 13th national election approaching, the Navy’s deployments also aim to ensure a safe and peaceful environment for voters.
“To ensure that the general public can exercise their constitutional right to vote freely and safely, every member of the Bangladesh Navy will remain fully alert, professional, and committed to their duties,” a senior officer said, emphasizing adherence to the rule of law.
