411 more stranded tourists evacuated from Sajek with army assistance

Another 411 tourists stranded in Sajek Valley, Rangamati, were evacuated with the assistance of the Bangladesh Army. They had been stranded after continuous heavy rainfall and flash floods submerged sections of the road at Machalong and Baghaihat Bazar.

On Friday morning, the tourists were ferried across the flooded areas using boats and bamboo rafts before being transported by road to safe destinations by the army.

According to the Sajek Cottage and Resort Owners’ Association and the local administration, continuous rainfall inundated several sections of the Dighinala–Baghaihat–Machalong–Sajek road, leaving around 561 tourists stranded in Sajek.

On Thursday afternoon, the army launched a special evacuation effort, using boats and bamboo rafts to help tourists cross the flooded stretches of road. In the first phase, 150 tourists left Sajek, including 10 children, 100 men and 40 women. Those with urgent travel needs were given priority.

The remaining 411 tourists left Sajek in the second phase on Friday.

Suresh Tripura, secretary of the Sajek Cottage and Resort Owners’ Association, told Prothom Alo that all remaining stranded tourists left Sajek with army assistance at around 9:00am on Friday. “There are no tourists left in Sajek now,” he said.

Baghaichhari Upazila Nirbahi Officer Amena Marjan said some tourists had left during the first phase on Thursday, while the rest departed on Friday morning.