Tourist goes missing after entering prohibited Nafakhum waterfall
Efforts are underway to rescue the missing tourist through coordinated work by the BGB, Fire Service and local administration
A tourist remained missing today (15 November) after entering the Nafakhum waterfall in Bandarban's Thanchi yesterday (14 November) despite an administrative ban on tourism in the area.
The tourist group reportedly travelled without registration or a guide before one member disappeared while swimming.
There is still an administrative ban on visiting the Nafakhum waterfall. Tourists are only allowed to go up to Tindu. Registration at the tourist information centre is mandatory, and the group did not register or take a guide
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Confirming the incident, Thanchi Police Station Officer-in-Charge Nasir Uddin said that Ikbal Hossain, 24, a visitor from Dhaka, went missing after going for a swim at the Nafakhum waterfall in the afternoon.
Mamun Rashid, general secretary of the Thanchi Guide Association, said a 17-member tourist group from Dhaka travelled to the area without administrative permission.
"There is still an administrative ban on visiting the Nafakhum waterfall. Tourists are only allowed to go up to Tindu. Registration at the tourist information centre is mandatory, and the group did not register or take a guide," he said.
He added that the group is believed to have reached Nafakhum from Tindu via Dim Pahar, and poor mobile network coverage delayed their ability to report the incident.
According to the police, several members of the group arrived at the station around noon today to file a missing person's report.
They said the team had entered the area through the 21 Kilo point of Thanchi without registration or a guide, and one member went missing while swimming in the waterfall.
Following the report, a Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) team was deployed to the area. The Fire Service has also been informed.
"The Fire Service here does not have divers, so they will need to be brought from Chattogram," OC Nasir Uddin said.
Thanchi Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Abdullah Al Faisal said the administration was notified after the tourists initially informed the local BGB camp.
"Entry of tourists into the Nafakhum area is currently prohibited. Nevertheless, the group entered without informing the authorities," he said.
Efforts are underway to rescue the missing tourist through coordinated work by the BGB, Fire Service and local administration.
