Saint Martin Island: Strategic Importance and Controversy

Location:

Saint Martin Island is situated in the northeastern Bay of Bengal, 9 km south of Cox's Bazar-Teknaf, Bangladesh. It is the only coral island of Bangladesh, covering an area of 3 sq km with a population of approximately 3,700.

Economic Activities:

• Fishing
• Rice farming
• Coconut cultivation
• Seaweed harvesting

Exports are mainly directed to Myanmar.

Strategic Significance:

For the United States:

• Potential military base could secure control over the Malacca Strait.
• Important for monitoring China, Myanmar, and India.
• Could obstruct China's Cox’s Bazar port project.

For Myanmar:

• Claims the island as its territory.
• 2018: Included the island in its official map but later retracted under international pressure.
• The current military government has been hostile to ships near the island.

Political Controversy:

Bangladesh Politics:

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina alleged that the US wanted the island for a military base and claimed that the opposition (BNP) might sell the island to the US if they came to power. The US denied these allegations.

International Dispute:

Myanmar:

Myanmar disputes Bangladesh's sovereignty over Saint Martin Island, with armed conflicts occurring between the Myanmar and Bangladesh navies near the island.

The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) has recognized the island as Bangladeshi territory.