The Hidden Island and Ekramul Adnan’s Great Escape

Ekramul Adnan never thought his spontaneous weekend trip would turn into the wildest adventure of his life. He was an ordinary guy, fond of reading travel blogs and watching survival shows, but he had never experienced anything truly thrilling himself.

It all started when Adnan decided to take a short boat ride off the coast of Cox’s Bazar. The local fishermen told him about small, uncharted islands nearby—places tourists usually ignored. Curious, Adnan rented a small boat and convinced an old boatman to take him for a quick ride. The weather was calm, sky clear, and the blue waves seemed friendly.

About an hour into the journey, dark clouds suddenly rolled in. The sea, which moments ago looked serene, now heaved like a restless beast. Before they knew it, strong winds tossed their boat left and right. The boatman, an experienced sailor, tried his best, but a powerful wave hit hard, flipping the boat and throwing them into the water.

Adnan managed to grab a floating piece of wood, struggling to stay above the waves. Hours passed before he finally drifted towards a shoreline—an unfamiliar, wild island. The boatman was nowhere to be seen.

Dragging himself onto the wet sand, Adnan coughed and looked around. Tall palm trees leaned towards the beach, dense greenery stretched beyond, and not a soul was in sight. No phone signal, no help. He realized quickly: if he wanted to survive, he had to rely on himself.

Pulling himself together, Adnan searched for fresh water. Thankfully, after about an hour of trekking through the underbrush, he stumbled upon a small freshwater stream. He quenched his thirst and started gathering coconuts and wild fruits. All those survival shows he’d watched were suddenly coming in handy—tying leaves for shelter, using stones to make a fire, marking his path.

Night came fast, and jungle sounds filled the air. Strange bird calls, the rustle of unseen creatures—it was unnerving. But Adnan kept his mind sharp. He decided he’d explore more the next morning, hoping maybe locals lived on the island.

The following day, after climbing up a hill, he noticed something surprising—a faint trail, almost hidden by vines. Following it cautiously, he found remnants of an old campsite: a broken lantern, rusty utensils, and a half-buried wooden sign with letters faded beyond recognition. Someone had been here before.

Encouraged, Adnan continued deeper until he came across something even more unexpected—a small cave entrance partly hidden behind bushes. Curiosity pulled him in. Inside, the cave walls had markings—symbols and arrows. He used a stick as a torch and followed them, leading him to the back of the cave. There, tucked behind some rocks, he found an old metal box.

Opening it, Adnan's eyes widened. Inside were old maps, coins, and a diary wrapped in plastic. The diary belonged to a sailor stranded decades ago, who had mapped the island but never made it off. According to the diary, there was a natural tunnel leading to the other side of the island, near a small fishermen’s route.

Heart racing, Adnan memorized the directions. He spent the next day carefully making his way through dense forest, avoiding snakes and thorny bushes, using the sailor's map as a guide. True enough, after hours of hiking and squeezing through narrow rock paths, he reached a clearing where the jungle thinned.

There, to his relief, he saw smoke rising in the distance. Following the smoke trail, he soon stumbled upon a small fishing village. A group of startled fishermen listened as Adnan explained his ordeal. They were amazed he survived alone on that wild island.

Kindly, they gave him food and arranged a ride back to the mainland. Before leaving, Adnan took one last look back at the mysterious island, grateful to be alive but knowing he'd carry the memory of his adventure forever.

Back at Cox’s Bazar, when his friends heard the story, they barely believed him. But Adnan didn’t care about convincing anyone. He knew he had faced something extraordinary and won.

And tucked safely in his backpack, along with his soaked clothes, was the sailor’s old diary—a reminder that adventure often finds you when you least expect it.