Saint Martin’s Island, a small landmass of only 3 square kilometres, lies in the northeastern Bay of Bengal, about 9 kilometres south of the Cox’s Bazar-Teknaf peninsula, marking the southernmost point of Bangladesh.
Earlier, Hasina also accused the United States of trying to engineer regime change in Bangladesh during a parliamentary session. Her son, Sajeeb Wazed Joy, suggested that the recent protests in Bangladesh may have been instigated by a foreign intelligence agency, though he declined to explicitly name the United States. “I now firmly believe that this was instigated by a small group, most likely a foreign intelligence agency. I strongly suspect that the ISI instigated this,” he said. “There was no reason for the protests to continue because the quotas were not imposed by our government and were reinstated by a court order. Our government had lifted the quotas in 2018 or so when the first protests over the quotas took place.” The US government has consistently criticised Dhaka’s human rights record and electoral processes.
What is the importance of Saint Martin?
Ship leaving Saint Martin
The island is only three square kilometres in size and is inhabited by about 3,700 people who work primarily in fishing, rice farming, coconut farming and harvesting seaweed, which is dried and exported to Myanmar.
Recently, the island has gained attention due to allegations that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)British National PartyThe previous Bangladeshi government, led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia (who was recently released), was planning to sell the country to the United States for a military base in exchange for electoral support. The US State Department has rejected these allegations, reiterating its commitment to respecting Bangladesh’s sovereignty and promoting democracy through free and fair elections.
date
Saint Martin’s Island is known as ‘Narikil Jingera’ or Coconut Island in Bengali, due to its abundance of coconut trees, and is also referred to as ‘Daruchini Dwip’ or Cinnamon Island. The island was originally part of the Teknaf Peninsula but broke away when part of the peninsula was submerged, turning its southern part into an island.
The island has a rich history dating back to the 18th century when it was first settled by Arab traders who named it “Al Jazirah”. In 1900, a British land survey included St. Martin’s Island as part of British India, naming it after a Christian priest named St. Martin. Some reports suggest that the island was named after the then Deputy Commissioner of Chittagong, Mr. Martin.
In 1937, when Myanmar separated from British India, the island remained part of India. After partition in 1947, it came under Pakistani control and later became part of Bangladesh after the 1971 Liberation War. In 1974, Bangladesh and Myanmar reached an agreement confirming that the island belonged to Bangladesh.
Maritime conflicts with Myanmar
Despite a 1974 agreement recognizing St. Martin as part of Bangladesh, there have been ongoing issues over the demarcation of the maritime boundary. Bangladeshi fishermen, who use the island as a major fishing base, have faced arrests and warning shots from Myanmar’s navy. Although ownership of the island has not been disputed, the demarcation of the maritime boundary has created tensions, given the island’s strategic location near the Bay of Bengal.
In 2012, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea issued a landmark ruling affirming Bangladesh’s sovereignty over the island. This ruling had significant implications for Bangladesh’s territorial waters and exclusive economic zone.
Rohingya influx into Bangladesh
A violent military campaign in Myanmar in 2017 forced more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh, where many took refuge in Kutupalong camp in Cox’s Bazar, the world’s largest refugee camp. Due to its proximity to the island of Saint Martin, there have been reports that the Arakan Army, a group banned by Myanmar, has attempted to claim sovereignty over the island, although Bangladesh has consistently denied the claim.
There have been sporadic shooting incidents between Myanmar’s military junta and the Arakan Army in recent years, prompting the Bangladesh Navy to deploy warships around St. Martin’s Island.
Saint Martin Island Lighthouse
The conflict between the United States and China
Saint Martin has played an important role in Bangladesh’s politics since the country’s independence in 1971. Its strategic location near the Bay of Bengal and its maritime border with Myanmar have attracted international attention, especially from the United States and China, which are seeking to strengthen their presence in the region.
In June last year, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina alleged that the US was planning to acquire the island of Saint Martin to build a military base in exchange for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s election victory. She alleged that the BNP, if it came to power, would sell the island to the US, a move she has vowed never to allow while in office.
Her claims were strongly refuted by US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller, who said the allegations were “inaccurate” and insisted that “there had been no discussions” about taking over the island with the Bangladeshi government.
With input from agencies
