A Bandarban court has granted bail to Borsha Islam, an administrator of the travel group 'Tour Expert', in connection with the deaths of two tourists during a trekking expedition in the remote Alikadam hills.
Senior Judicial Magistrate ASM Emran of the Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court in Bandarban passed the bail order after Borsha was produced before the court on Sunday afternoon, June 15. The decision was confirmed by Md Kamrul Alam, general registration officer (GRO) of the court police.
The incident stems from a trekking trip organized by Borsha Islam that began on the night of June 8, involving a 33-member group. According to local guides in Alikadam upazila, on June 10, Borsha led a 12-member subgroup on the challenging Andharmanik trail, accompanied by a local guide. The remaining 20 participants — including Smriti Islam — were reportedly sent back to Alikadam under the supervision of an inexperienced handler.
Tragedy struck on the afternoon of June 11, when a sudden landslide hit the group near Shamuk Jharna. Smriti Islam, Sheikh Jubairul Islam, and Hasan Chowdhury Shuvo were swept away. Rescue teams later recovered the bodies of Smriti on June 12 and Jubairul on June 13. Hasan remains missing as of today.
In response to the incident, Habibur Rahman, the father of Smriti Islam, filed a case against Borsha Islam at Alikadam Police Station. Police arrested Borsha on Saturday in connection with the case, prompting her court appearance and subsequent bail hearing.
The incident has raised renewed concerns about unregulated adventure tourism in Bangladesh’s hill tracts, where safety protocols and contingency planning remain inconsistent. As investigations continue, questions linger about the oversight of group trekking operations and the qualifications of those leading such high-risk tours.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
