Mirsharai
in Chattogram is home to five waterfalls located in various mountains. The
Forest Department leases these waterfalls, which are maintained under the Baroiyadhala
National Park. However, despite the annual increase in leasing fees, the
waterfalls remain unsafe for tourists. Several students from schools, colleges,
and universities have lost their lives while visiting these sites. In the last
five years, 11 tourists have died while visiting the waterfalls.
Mohammad
Mahbubur Alam, an employee at the head office of One Bank in Dhaka, was
visiting Khaiyachara Waterfall in Mirsharai. Unaware of a deep pool below, he
accidentally fell in yesterday (September 27). Mirsharai Fire Service personnel
later recovered his body. Mahbubur Alam was the son of Jahangir Alam from Dhoniapara
in Jatrabari.
Local
residents reports that the waterfalls are becoming increasingly dangerous. This
is especially true during the rainy season, when accidents occur more
frequently due to a lack of caution. Most of the tourists are university and
college students, many of whom cannot swim. Consequently, they often fall into
the pools below the waterfalls due to carelessness and lose their lives.
Dr.
Mohammed Kamal Hossain, a retired professor from the Institute of Forestry and
Environmental Sciences at the University of Chittagong, told Bonik Barta, “Most
tourists come from flat regions and are unfamiliar with the depth of the pools
beneath the mountains and waterfalls. They fall victim to accidents due to a
lack of awareness.”
According
to the Mirsharai Fire Service and Civil Defense, two people died in the Khaiyachara
and Napittachara waterfalls in 2020, while at least four others were injured.
On September 26, 2021, one tourist was injured after falling from the top of
the Khaiyachara waterfall. In 2022, two siblings lost their lives, and three
others were injured. In 2023, two more people died, and one was injured. On
June 27, 2023, 15 tourists lost their way while visiting the Sonaichari waterfall
and called the emergency hotline for help. Mirsharai police and fire service
personnel later rescued them from the remote mountains. By September of this
year, four tourists had already died, with three others injured. Among the
victims was Al Shaharia (21), a first-year MBBS student at Shaheed Monsur Ali
Medical College in Dhaka. The others included Anjan Barua, a first-year
undergraduate student at Comilla Government College, Faisal Haque, a first-year
student at Comilla Victoria College, and Sifatur Rahman, a first-year Fine Arts
student at the University of Development Alternative. The highest number of
fatalities has occurred at Khaiyachara Waterfall, where seven tourists have
lost their lives. Most recently, a bank officer from Dhaka lost his life at Khaiyachara
waterfall yesterday.
When
asked about tourist safety, Ashraful Alam, the officer responsible for the Baroiyadhala
range, told Bonik Barta, “When issuing tickets to tourists, we instruct them not
to venture into dangerous areas. Additionally, warning banners have been placed
along the waterfall paths to prevent visitors from going to risky locations.”
According
to Forest Department sources, the department leased the waterfalls under the Baroiyadhala
National Park in 2022. That year, the lease was valued at BDT 1.2 million. In
2023, AH Enterprise won the lease for BDT 2.9 million. This year, another
enterprise secured the lease for BDT 3 million.