The National Emergency Helpline 999 has introduced English-language services for the first time, aiming to assist English-speaking people, particularly foreigners working in or visiting the country.
The helpline, operated by the Bangladesh Police, has been a crucial resource for citizens in distress since its launch in 2017. It provides round-the-clock emergency assistance, including police, fire, and medical services.
However, until now, the service was exclusively available in Bangla.
Mohammad Tabarak Ullah, additional deputy inspector general of police and chief of the national emergency helpline, told The Daily Star that foreign officials in Bangladesh -- including those working with the UN, INGOs, foreign missions, and various development partners -- will now be able to seek emergency help more conveniently.
"Currently, we are rolling out the English service with a limited number of workstations to assess the response. Based on the feedback, we will expand the service," he said.
"The service provided will be similar to the Bangla-language service. A 999 agent will communicate with the caller in English, relay the details to the service provider in Bangla, and then update the caller in English to ensure clear communication," he said.
He cited a recent case in which an Italian citizen was robbed on her way from the airport to a hostel. Although police recovered her valuables and arrested the culprits, she was unable to seek help from 999 at the time as the service was not available in English.
At present, the 999 helpline has 100 workstations and can handle 120 calls simultaneously. "We have already received approval to establish another 100 workstations in Purbachal," he said.
He said similar services are popular in countries like Singapore, Malaysia, and the UAE.
Three inspectors -- Soyebur Rahman, Shahadat Hossain Selim, and Istiak Ansari -- conducted a one-month training session to prepare 20 officers to handle calls in English.
Inspector Soyebur Rahman told The Daily Star that it was a challenge for them, as the entire team was accustomed to Bangla.
Inspector Anwar Sattar, spokesperson for the helpline, said, "People now have confidence in 999, and as a result, we are receiving more calls than ever before. Currently, we handle 20,000 to 25,000 calls daily."
Source: The daily star