Four Dhaka Students Rescued After Nine Days Stranded in Remote Bandarban Hills
Four college students from Dhaka, who were reported missing in the remote hills of Bandarban, have returned home following a harrowing nine-day ordeal triggered by relentless monsoon rains. The group—Abu Huraira, Maruf Uddin, Tamim Raihan, and Mahadi Al Mahbub—had traveled to the region on July 2 to visit the Nafakhum and Amiyakhum waterfalls. Their trip, however, took a life-threatening turn when severe weather transformed the rugged trails into impassable terrain.
The trouble began on July 4 while the group was trekking toward the Amiyakhum waterfall. As heavy downpours lashed the region, flash floods submerged their return path, leaving them stranded in the Thuisapara area. Guided by their local companion, Shimon Khiang, the four sought refuge in a traditional "Jumghar"—a mountain hut—belonging to a local family. What was intended to be a single night of shelter extended into a week-long confinement as the torrential rain failed to subside.
Cut off from mobile networks and electricity, the students faced a total communication blackout, unable to inform their families of their safety. During this time, they relied entirely on the hospitality of the local indigenous community, who provided food and shelter without charge. "It was a life-changing experience," Abu Huraira told local media upon his return. "The initial excitement of travel turned into one of the most frightening experiences of our lives, but we survived only because of the kindness of the locals and the eventual intervention of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB)."
The students managed to send brief, sporadic messages to their families on July 6 and 8 after locating a private Starlink internet connection in the nearby Jinnapara area. By July 9, they reached a BGB camp in Thuisapara to request assistance. However, hazardous weather conditions and flooded trails prevented an immediate extraction.
An official rescue operation finally commenced on July 11, when ten BGB personnel braved landslides, steep mountain slopes, and raging rivers to reach the stranded students. Because the primary route remained underwater, the team had to carve new paths through dense jungle. Following two days of arduous travel, the group reached the Sangu River area, where they were transported by vehicle to Thanchi.
Thanchi’s Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), Mohammad Abdullah-Al-Faysal, confirmed that the rescue was a coordinated effort between the local administration and the 38 BGB battalion. He noted that while the students were registered at the local station, the severe river currents and isolated geography made an earlier rescue impossible.
The students, who attend various institutions including St. Gregory’s, Notre Dame, and Udayan Government College, arrived safely in Dhaka on July 13. While physically unscathed, they remain psychologically shaken by the experience. Their ordeal serves as a stark reminder of the extreme risks associated with trekking in the Chittagong Hill Tracts during the peak of the monsoon season.
