St. Martin's Island, which is detached from the mainland of Bangladesh, is one of the largest coral islands in the world, 35km from Teknaf. A few weeks ago I went there to see the beautiful sites of this island. The only communication system between this island and the mainland is shallow engine boat and a launch ferrying people from Teknaf. There are 7,500 people living in this island and among them 95% are fishermen. But it is a matter of great sorrow that they have only one primary school in the whole island. We met a school teacher who said, " Around 25 students attend high school and only 4/5 of them take SSC exams every year." What is surprising is that though the government is spending huge amounts of money on education the people in this remote island have not been brought within the purview of our education plan.We met a boy named Afsar, aged 13, who earns his living by driving a van for tourists. There are so many boys and girls of his age on the island who have become child workers. Another problem in the island is family planning. Every family has about 8/9 members. So I request the government and the education ministry to take the necessary steps so that we can see a prosperous Bangladesh without any neglected part like the St. Martin's Island.
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