The Parliament refused to hear an emergency motion submitted by the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) urging the government to address the housing needs of residents of B. Dhonfanu on Monday, as Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla said the extraordinary sitting was being held to conduct a specific work.
The Parliament, which is in recess, reconvened for an extraordinary sitting on Monday morning for work on the referendum bill.
Also in the morning, Kendhoo MP Mauroof Zakir, a lawmaker from the MDP, submitted an emergency motion urging the government to address the concerns of the residents of Dhonfanu, who have seen protesting since last week after the government scrapped a project to reclaim land in the island over widespread concerns over the potential damage to Hanifaru Bay, a UNESCO biosphere reserve that lies nearby
But Speaker Abdul Raheem said the motion cannot be heard, as Monday’s sitting is an extraordinary one held under the Parliament’s standing orders to conduct a specific work.
In his motion, Mauroof said that Dhonfanu is among islands that that are small in size, resulting in lack of land to meet housing needs.
On August 13, Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) was awarded a contract to reclaim 13 hectares of land in Dhonfanu, a small island with a population of some 400 people. The agreement was signed during President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s visit to the island, and drew criticism from environmental advocates over its implications for Hanifaru Bay, which is among the most important marine habitats in the Maldives.
But on September 9, President Muizzu announced he was scrapping the project in light of public concern over its potential environmental implications.
The decision met with protest from the residents of Dhonfanu, who have been holding serial demonstrations since.
In his motion, Mauroof noted that the land reclamation project was one that President Muizzu had promised the people of Dhonfanu, and expressed concern that the decision to scrap the project was made without consulting the island’s residents or even the council.
Residents of B. Dhonfanu protest against the decision to drop a land reclamation project in the island on September 12, 2025. (Photo/Facebook/Ibrerhim Najetzz)
He urged the government to initiate talks with the residents of Dhonfanu to resolve the issue, warning that failure to address the concerns will continue to worsen the living condition of the island’s residents and create more social issues.
The residents of Dhonfanu have been protesting ever since President Muizzu announced the decision to scrap the land reclamation project. They expanded their protest on Friday, riding boats out into the sea holding up banners and highlighting their desire to expand the size of the island.
Housing Minister Dr. Abdulla Muthalib has said that while the land reclamation project has been dropped, the government will be running a harbor development and coastal protection project in Dhonfanu.
Hanifaru Bay is recognized as one of the most important marine habitats in the Maldives, serving as a critical feeding and breeding ground for several vulnerable and endangered species, including whale sharks, reef manta rays, napoleon wrasse, as well as protected marine turtles.
The commencement of reclamation works in Dhonfanu had sparked a petition on Change.org, calling for an immediate halt to dredging operations, stressing that Hanifaru Bay is crucial feeding and mating ground for endangered species, and warning that the potential threat from the project is not solely environmental but extends to economic and cultural dimensions.
Concerns outlined in the petition included the risk of sedimentation caused by dredging, which could disrupt the marine water cycle and endanger plankton populations, the microscopic organisms that form the foundation of the food chain for reefs and larger marine life, the decline of which could have widespread consequences for the ecosystem.
The petitioners warned that the project poses a threat not only to the survival of individual species but also to the future of the island communities whose existence is deeply tied to the sea.