Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) has allotted 999 as a shortcode for emergency for the people of Bangladesh. This is the official help desk number now for the country and obviously is toll-free.

By dialing the number, people will get three emergency services like ambulance assistance, fire service, and police assistance.

People can dial it from any land phone or use mobile phone, said a police headquarters official. And the service will be available across the nation.

The service comes after lots of experiments and analysis. And the call center will remain open 24 hours in a day.

Around 120 help-seekers would talk at a time directly with the operator from any part of the country.

In last year, the number was run experimentally and it was a success. So, the government has taken steps to make it a permanent number.

The developed countries of the world also have their help desks that provide emergency support to the citizens round the clock.