By Mutahar Hossain  

DHAKA, May 16, 2026 (BSS) - The National Emergency Service 999 has become one of the most trusted and dependable services for people across the country.
 
It was introduced to provide rapid assistance during accidents or any crisis situation in daily life. From anywhere in the country, people can call and receive services such as police assistance, fire service, ambulances, and other emergency support.

The service is operated 24/7 from the Police Control Room on Abdul Gani Road in the capital. Many people feel more comfortable reporting incidents to 999 rather than going directly to a police station. 

However, this important emergency number is now facing major challenges because of unnecessary and fake calls.

Statistics from National Emergency Service 999 show that more than half of all incoming calls are not related to genuine emergencies. 

As a result, people in real danger experience delays in receiving assistance, while pressure on service providers continues to increase.

Police said the service, launched on December 12, 2017, primarily provides police, fire service, and ambulance support. 

It also receives complaints related to land disputes, domestic violence, accidents, and various other issues. 

A total of 450 staff members work in three shifts across 100 lines to provide the service.

A man named Julhas Haji told BSS recently, “A seven-month-old child became critically ill on the Karnaphuli-3 launch travelling from Bhola to Dhaka. I called 999, and rescue operations began shortly afterward. The baby’s condition was very serious. Without 999, it might not have been possible to save the child.”

Officials concerned say that most calls to the emergency service are unnecessary. Some people call asking for mobile recharge, financial assistance, or completely irrelevant matters. 

In some cases, parents even hand phones to children to stop them from crying, allowing them to dial 999. 

There are also instances where callers deliberately provide false information to mislead law enforcement agencies.

Call taker Ratan Hossain told BSS that once a caller from Shahzadpur in Sirajganj reported a fire incident. The fire service was immediately informed, but upon arrival no such incident was found. Later, when officials tried to call back, the number was switched off.

According to police data, from December 12, 2017 to April 30, 2026, the National Emergency Service 999 received a total of 71,171,422 calls.
 
Among them, services were provided in 31,738,927 calls, accounting for 44.60 percent of the total.

In contrary, 39,432,495 calls, or 55.40 percent, did not require service. This means unnecessary and unwanted calls outnumber genuine emergency calls.

The number of genuine “Emergency Calls for Service (CFS)” was 2,659,094. Of these, 2,228,035 requested for police assistance, 205,448 requested for fire service support, and 225,611 requested for ambulances support.

Most concerning, however, is the number of blank and prank calls. 

Data show that there were 30,728,729 silent calls where callers said nothing after connecting, 2,674,167 prank calls, and 6,029,599 missed calls. 

Altogether, these calls waste valuable time and create major pressure on the emergency response system, affecting the ability to receive real emergency calls promptly.

Anowar Sattar, media and public relations officer of National Emergency Service 999, told BSS that previously 70 to 80 percent of calls were unnecessary. 

Due to awareness campaigns, that number has now dropped somewhat to around 50 percent. He added that numbers making repeated nuisance calls are blocked for a specific period.

Although Section 70 of the Bangladesh Telecommunication Act, 2001 identifies unreasonable and disturbing phone calls as punishable offenses, carrying penalties of up to a Tk 100,000 fine or six months’ imprisonment for non-payment, the law is rarely enforced in practice.

Mahiul Islam, chief of National Emergency Service 999 and additional deputy inspector general (DIG) of police, told BSS, “Because of unnecessary calls, people now have to wait nearly two minutes for emergency calls to be received, which is extremely concerning. Such long waiting times are not seen in emergency services anywhere else in the world.”

He further said, “Many callers also use abusive language, creating mental pressure on call takers. However, instead of immediate punitive action, we are focusing more on raising public awareness.”

Concerned officials say that Emergency Service 999 is not just a phone number; it is one of the country’s most important lifelines. 

Therefore, avoiding unnecessary and fake calls and increasing public awareness are now essential to keeping this service effective.