United News of Bangladesh

Widespread misinformation surrounding Saint Martin’s, Bangladesh’s only coral island, has triggered public confusion, with officials dismissing claims that the island is being handed over to a foreign power or converted into a military base. For months, misleading posts, videos and political statements circulating on social media have alleged foreign control or militarisation of the island. Edited images of warships, old videos from joint military drills and night-time visuals showing fire or light have been falsely portrayed as evidence of foreign military activity. Authorities say these claims are entirely baseless and unsupported by facts. The speculation escalated following the government’s restriction on tourism to protect Saint Martin’s fragile environment and biodiversity. How to Visit Saint Martin’s Island in Tourist Season 2025-26 Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the Navy’s forward base on the island, said,”Saint Martin’s has an estimated population of around 11,000. Alongside the Navy, the Coast Guard, BGB and police are responsible for security here. There is a lot of propaganda suggesting the island is being taken over by another country. These claims rely on edited images or videos, often taken from joint exercises conducted with foreign navies,” he said.

Malaysian acting High Commissioner to Bangladesh Amir Farid Abu Hasan has said they received around 180,000 Bangladeshi tourists in 2019 making the Southeast Asian country one of the biggest tourist destinations for Bangladeshis.