Authorities have closed bathing in St. Martin for safety reasons

The Dhaka Times Desk Bathing has been banned in St Martin due to repeated bathing incidents leading to people being swept into the sea. Bathing will be prohibited in the entire area until an unsafe spot is identified, it said.

Deputy Commissioner Md. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Beach Management Committee comprising of local dignitaries, businessmen, police administration, coast guard and administrative officers in a meeting presided over by Ruhul Amin. It is said that this decision will be implemented from Friday.

However, it has been decided that bathing will be allowed again after identifying unsafe spots and appointing a lifeguard. The meeting also decided to distribute leaflets to warn tourists.

It is to be noted that 10 students of Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology of Dhaka were swept away by the tide while taking a bath at Saint Martin's on April 14, Bengali New Year. After 6 people were rescued with serious injuries, two of them died. 4 more students are missing. A day later, two bodies were recovered from the sea, but two are still missing.