Braving landslide, youth rescues worker

In a display of rare courage, a young man risked his life to rescue a worker buried in a landslide in Juri upazila of Moulvibazar on Sunday afternoon.

The incident occurred in the Patila Sangon area of Sagornal Union when a group of workers were clearing soil that had previously collapsed from a hillock due to heavy rain. Suddenly, another section of the hill caved in, trapping one of the workers waist-deep in soil.

As the other workers fled in panic, a local youth, Siddiqur Rahman, rushed to the scene upon hearing the victim's screams. Without hesitation, he grabbed a spade and began digging through the rain-soaked soil to rescue the trapped worker.

A video of the dramatic rescue, later shared widely on Facebook, shows Siddiqur painstakingly removing soil with a spade before pulling the worker out by hand.

"The man was stuck in the ground up to his waist. Despite trying repeatedly, he couldn't get out. People around were afraid to help," Siddiqur told this correspondent.

"I felt that saving his life was the most important thing at that moment. I ran in the rain and removed the soil little by little. Eventually, I managed to pull him out."

The identity of the rescued worker could not be confirmed. However, locals said he is believed to be a resident of the nearby Dhamai Tea Garden.

The man reportedly suffered a sprained leg and received first aid.

Local Union Parishad member of Ward-2 Sharaf Uddin confirmed the incident and said, "After seeing the video on Facebook, I looked into the matter. Siddiqur did something truly humanitarian. Had he not acted quickly, the situation could have ended in tragedy."

According to locals, the area where the incident took place had seen unauthorised hill-cutting in recent months. A woman named Rina Begum had reportedly purchased land on the hillside and built a house after levelling part of the hill, which stands 25 to 30 feet high. Following recent heavy rains, a portion of the hill collapsed behind the house.

On Sunday, Rina Begum's family had engaged four workers to clear the debris. The landslide occurred while they were working in the rain, triggering panic among them.

Shaidul Hasan Shipon, general secretary of Kulaura Sangbadik Samitee said, long warned about the risks of hill-cutting in the region, especially during monsoon. Unplanned development and the removal of vegetation significantly increase the likelihood of landslides.

As the video continues to be shared online, Siddiqur Rahman's courageous act is drawing widespread praise from netizens and community members alike, he added.