Online Desk: National Emergency Hotline Service 999 helped police to rescue 31 tourists who went missing in Karamjal area of Sundarbansin Khulna on Monday afternoon.

After receiving a call from the emergency hotline 999, a team of the Mongla police rescued them from the area.

Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Mongla Police Station KM Azizul Islam said a total of 31 tourists lost their way shortly after entering the forest.

The tourists, who were students of different educational institutions of Chitalmariupazila of Bagerhat, went to Karamjal Tourism and Wildlife Breeding Center under Chandpai Range (Mongla) of Sundarban East Forest Division on Monday morning.

“Being curious and enthusiastic, the tourists were marvelled at the beauty of nature and started walking deep into the forest,” the OC said, adding that they lost their way two kilometres into the deep Eastern Forest under the Chadpai Range after crossing the Karamjal tourist centre.

They were terrified and two of them fell ill. A teenager named Ferdous who was in the group made a mobile call to National Emergency Hotline 999. Getting the call, Mongla Police Station OC rescued them from the forest.

“There was no balance in my SIM but I know anyone can make a call at 999 free of cost and we did it two hours later after realising we were lost,” said MdFerdous while talking to BSS today.

“We thank SajeebWazed Joy, the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) advisor to the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, for the digitalisation of Bangladesh and the police as well as their immediate response,” he added.