A tourist has gone missing after slipping into the strong current of the Nafakhum waterfall in Bandarban's Thanchi upazila while taking a selfie, according to local sources.

The incident occurred yesterday afternoon, but due to the absence of mobile network in the remote area, the matter came to light only this morning.

Thanchi Police Station Officer-in-Charge Nasir Uddin Majumder said, "We received information yesterday evening about a tourist going missing near Nafakhum. However, detailed information is yet to be confirmed."

The missing tourist was later identified as Iqbal Hossain, 24, from Rasulnagar village under Saturia union of Demra, Dhaka district.

Thanchi Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Abdullah Al Faisal said, "Tourist entry to the Nafakhum area is currently restricted. Despite this, the group entered without notifying the administration. A joint rescue operation by the BGB, fire service and local administration is underway to locate the missing tourist."

According to locals, a group of 17 tourists from Dhaka's Demra area travelled to Thanchi and then entered the restricted Nafakhum area without permission. While bathing in the waterfall, Iqbal slipped into the strong current and went missing. The group could not inform authorities immediately due to the lack of network connectivity.

This morning, five members of the group reported the matter to the nearest camp of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and later to Thanchi Police Station and the upazila administration. A search operation is now underway involving the administration, BGB, police, and fire service personnel.