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Natural beauty of Bangladesh

Introduction Bangladesh is a country of vast, largely unknown and unspoiled natural beauty and reserves,

which are simply unique and fascinating. These natural phenomena are composed of hills and

vales, forests, rivers, lakes, sea and beaches, and the evergreen landscape embracing the country.

Bangladesh emerged as an independent country in 1971 after a nine-month war of liberation. It

was previously called Bengal. The country, comprising an area of 144 000 km2, is situated in the

northeastern side of South Asia sub-continent.

In true sense, 'Bangladesh is on the move'. As a nation, we have thousand years old heritage. The

beauty and richness of the country is depicted well in the song "Dhon O Dhanye Pushpe Bhora

Amader Ei Bashundhara" written by Dijendralal Roy. This country is not only blessed with

spectacular natural beauty, she has unlimited potentials despite many limitations.

The topography is mainly flat alluvial plain, criss-crossed by the world’s three mighty river

systems, the Padma (Ganges), the Jamuna and the Meghna and their innumerable tributaries. The

east and the northeast of the country joins India, and the southeastern part, adjoining Myanmar,

is mainly hilly with dense forest. This area comprises Chittagong and the three Hilly Districts (as

they are known) of Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachari, with an average elevation of 610 m.

These folded ranges run parallel to each other in the north–south direction and the hill slopes are

generally enveloped by dense virgin forest. In the south and southwest, alongside the coast of the

Bay of Bengal, lies the Sundarbans, better known as a swampy tropical mangrove forest, the

home of the Royal Bengal Tiger. These areas are all ideal for the expansion of ecotourism in the

country.

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Bangladesh is endowed with various tourist attractions which include archaeological sites,

mosques, temples, monuments, and amn range of tours, including river cruises and boating.

Visitors to Bangladeshare invariably brought close to nature. The following are the major tourist

attractions.

Chittagong a Tourist Paradise The Hill districts in the southeastern region of the country commands an exotic view of natural

beauty. Accessible by road from the port city of Chittagong, it is a tranquil haven for nature

lovers. This port city is famous for its harbour and port, beach and hills, a World War II

cemetery, the shrines of saints and beautiful mosques. It is the second largest city in the country

and is the commercial capital. Sitakund, a holy place for Hindu pilgrims, is only 36 km from

Chittagong. Chittagong is connected to Dhaka by road, train and air. Green hills and sprawling

valleys are often dotted with waterfalls and small lakes. The unique lifestyle of the tribal people

addsvalue to the romance of this paradise. Withno sound and air pollution, these hilly districts

can be the finest destinations for those wanting to get away from the modern urban life and

embrace a domain of tranquility.

The flamboyant township at the head of a 120 km long beach with lines of fancy shops on either sides of Cox’s Bazaar main road, calm peaceful Khyangs and pagodas, Rakhyne quarters, fish harbor of kostura Ghat, the Sights of the rising sun behind the hills and setting of it into the Bay of Bengal all together gives us aura of a fairy land- a tourist paradise.Not

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very far from Cox’s Bazar is the island of Maheskhali, famous for its Buddhist and Hindu

temples and a dry fish industry. A trip to Tefnak, about 100 km from Cox’s Bazar, takes a visitor

to the southern-most point of Bangladesh. It is simply fascinating. From there, one can go to the

coral island of St. Martin by boat. Cox’s Bazar is connected to Chittagong and Dhaka by road

and air. Hilly Districts: The three Hilly Districts of Rangamata, Khagrachari and Bandarban are

inhabited by a number of tribes, with their distinctive cultures, rituals and traditions. The

picturesque town of Rangamati is about 70 km from the port city of Chittagong. The Kaptai Lake

is the largest man-made lake in the sub-continent. Inani Inani is a quiet tourist hideout set out in the exuberance of nature. Himchhari Himchhari is a beautiful spot in the solitude of sea and the hills. It is about four and a half km southeast from cox’s Bazaar along the beach. The attractions around Cox’s Bazar are Ramu, Moheshkhali, Sonadia, Teknaf and St. Martin’s Island. Archaeological Sites Bangladesh is a country considerably rich in archaeological wealth, especially of the medieval period both during the Muslim and pre-Muslim rules, though most of it is still unexplored and unknown. With the independence of Bangladesh in 1971 the Government has undertaken a number of field projects including a comprehensive survey and

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While new information and fresh evidence are coming out are gradually. These fresh explorations are likely to add substantially to our knowledge of the history and chronology of ancient Bangladesh and various aspects of her life and culture. The earlier history of Bangladesh reveals that Buddhism received royal patronage from some important ruling dynasties like the great pala rulers. The Chandra and the Deva Kings under their royal patronage numerous well-organized self-contained monasteries sprang up all over the country. Wari-bateshwar is the site of an ancient fort city dating back to 450 BC situated in the north eastern part of the Bangladesh. This 2500 years old site is a significant archaeological discovery. It challenges the earlier notions about the existence of early urban civilization in Bangladesh. The archaeological site ‘Mahasthan’ means a great place. Located at a distance of 18 km. north of Bogra town. Mainamati Mainamati once known as ‘Samatata’ denotes a land lying almost even with the sea-level. An isolated eleven mile long spur of dimpled low hill range known as the Moinamati-Lalmi range runs through the middle of Camilla district from north to south. . Puthia Temple Town Puthia has the largest number of historically important Hindu structures in Bangladesh. Sri Chaitanya Temple About 500 years old famous temple of Sri Chaitanya dev is located at Dhaka Dakhin nearly 45 km.Vaishnava saint. Religious Places-Buddhist Temple Dharmarajika Buddha Vihara Dharmarajika Buddha vihara the first Buddhist vihara (monastery) in Dhaka was established in 1960 at the initiative of Bishuddhananda Mahathera. Religious Places-Churches Armenian Church The Church of Bangladesh is a church of the Anglican communion in Bangladesh .It is in fact a united church, having been formed by the union of various Christian churches in the region.

Historical Place Mausoleum of Father of the Nation Tungipara, a remote village surrounded by rivers & canals with lush green & densly built homestead on the banks where Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur rahman was born. The surrounding dense neighborhood created a scarcity of land in the graveyard to accommodate the people coming to play respect for his departed soul. National Memorial Located at Saver, about 35 km from Dhaka, the national memorial was designed by architect Moinul Hossain. It is dedicated to the sacred memory of the millions of unknown martyrs’ of the war of liberation in 1971. Central Shahid Minar Symbol of Bengali nationalism, this monument was built to commemorate the martyrs ‘of the historic language movement on 21st February, 1952

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National Poet’s Grave Revolutionary poet kazi Nazrul Islam died on 29th August 1976 and was buried here. The graveyard is adjacent to the Dhaka university central Mosque. Bahadurshah Park Located at old city opposite the jagannath University formerly Victoria park this memorial place of 1857 was built to commemorate the martyr’s of the first liberation war in the years of 1857 -59 against British Rule. Curzon Hall In the wake of the first partition of Bengal in 1905, a group of architecturally homogeneous building was erected in Dhaka illustrating a happy blending of the mughal and European tastes massive in appearance of their component part and a great variety of eye-catching external detail. Baldha Garden Established in 1904, by the late Narendra Narayan Roy, the garden is located in wari (opposite to the Christian cemetery). Suhrawardy Uddayan At a stone throw distance from Dhaka Sheraton Hotel and stretching out Dhaka university campus and Bangla Academy, The Suharwardy uddyan, formarly known as the race course, is a testament to our great historical achievement. Old High Court Building Originally built as the residence of the British Governor, the High Court Building illustrates a fine blend of European and mughal architecture. The building is situated north of the Curzon Hall of Dhaka University. Natore- Dighapatiya Rajbari (palace) Natore lies about 40 km. from Rajshahi and is an old seat of the maharajah of Dighapatiya, once serving as the Uttara Ganabhaban the official northern region residence of the president of the Republic. Rangamati- The Lake District Rangamati, located 77 km. away from Chittagong, is a favorite holiday resort because of its beautiful landscape, lake, numerous colorful tribes, hanging bridge, homespun textile products, ivory jewellery, and tribal museum and so on. Kaptai- The Lake Town A pleasant and picturesque drive of 64 km. from Chittagong brings you to a huge expanse of emerald and blue water ringed by tropical forests Bandar Ban –The Roof of Bangladesh The highest peak of Bangladesh-Tahjin dong (4632 ft) is located in the Bandar ban district.

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Khagrachhari- The Hilltop Town Khagrachhari is the district headquarters of Khagrachhari Hill District. A drive of 112 km from Chittagong, by an all-weather medaled road through the green forest up hills down dales into the solitude of nature. Sundarban (Royal Bengal Tiger and Mangrove Forest) Located about 320 km. South-west of Dhaka and spread over an area of about 6000 sq, km of deltaic swamps along the coastal belt of Khulna, the sundarbans is the world’s biggest mangrove forest-the home of the Royal Bengal tiger. These dense mangrove forests are crossed by a network of rivers and creeks. Here, tourists find tides flowing in two directions in the same creek and often tigers swimming across a river or huge crocodiles basking in the sun. Other wild life of the region include the cheetahs, spotted deer,monkeys,pythons,wild bears and hyeanas.The forest is accessible by river from Khulna or Mongla. There are rest-houses for visitors to stay and enjoy the unspoiled beauty and splendor of the forest. UNESCO has declared the Sundarban a world heritage site that it offers splendid opportunities for tourism.

Dhaka: Situated on the bank of the Buriganga River, Dhaka is the national capital. Founded in 1608 AD

as the seat of the imperial Mughal Viceroys of Bengal and known over centuries for its silk,

muslin and pearls, Dhaka has many interesting attractions. These are the Lalbagh Fort (built in

1678 by Prince Azam, son of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb), the Armenian Church, the Ahsan

Manzil Museum (the residence of the Nawabs of Dhaka), the Star Mosque, the National

Memorial at Savar, the Central Shadeed Minar(a monument dedicated to the sacred memory of

the martyrs of the Language Movement, 1952), Curson Hall, the National Museum, the Baldah

Gardens, the Botanical Garden and the National Park. Sonargaon, one of the oldest capitals of

Bengal, is 25 km from the present capital of Dhaka. Mahasthangar (Bogra): Dating back from

the 3rd century BC, this is the earliest known city site in the whole of Bengal. One can see the

ruins of

an early Buddhist monastery near Mahasthangar. Paharpur (Naogaon): This gigantic temple and

monastery of the 8th

century is by far the most spectacular Buddhist site that has been discovere

It has been declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO. Dinajpur: Ramsagor Lake and the

Kantajis Mandir (built in 1722) are two important attractions in this northern district. The

Mandir, with mythological decorations in terracotta, depicts the entire story of Mahabharata. Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban (the National Parliament Building) at Sher-e Bangla Nagar, designed by the famous architect Louis I Kahn, is known throughout the region for its distinctive architectural features. Banga Bhaban Banga bhaban is the official residence of the head of the state president of Bangladesh. National Botanical Garden Located at mirpur, near Dhaka zoo, this garden has a collection of nearly 100 species of local and foreign plants, 100 varieties of roses in the rose corner, 100 varieties of bamboo in the bamboo grove. National Park

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Situated at Bhawal, 40 kilometers north of Dhaka on Trisal- Mymensingh highway, the National park spreads on 16,000 acres, with national recreational forests and animals, including small bears, monkeys, porcupines and foxes. Ahsan Manzil

Situated on the bank of the river Buriganga near wiseghat, this stately monument was originally built in 1872 by Nawab Abdul Ghani, as a palace on the site of an old French factory and it was named after his son Nawab Ahsanullah Bahadur. Dhaka Zoological Garden Established on 230 acres of land, this zoo at Mirpur has nearly 1500 animals and birds belonging to 128 species. Batali Hill The Batali Hill is the highest hill within the Chittagong metropolitan area. It is situated in the

tiger pass area of the city, only 1 km. from the zero point. From the peak of the Batali hill one

can have a clear bird’s eye view of the city.

Sixty Domes Mosque (Bagerhat):

Built in 1454, with 77 domes, this is the most magnificent and certainly the largest brick mosque of Bangladesh.The mausoleum in memory of the Muslim mystic Khan Jahan Ali is located here. It has been declared as a World Heritage site by UNESCO.

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Sylhet:

Up in the northeastern part of Bangladesh, in the region of Sylhet, sprawling tea gardens offer

panoramic views. It is like a green carpet rolled out for miles and miles. For centuries, these

gardens have been producing tea. The plucking of tea leaves by thousands of women in the

waist-level thick tea bushes itself is a spectacular view. In the midst of these tea garden valleys,

naturalwaterfalls make it more scenic. The Madhabkunda waterfall is the most prominent one

with tens of thousands of tourists visiting it every year. This is the city of two great saints, Hazrat

Shah Jalal (RA) and Hazrat Shah Paran (RA). It is a beautiful area with more than 130 tea

gardens. Colourful Manipuri and Khasia tribes with their folk dances and distinct culture are

added attractions.

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Rajshahi:

Situated in the north western part, Paharpur is well known for being a wonderful Buddhist

archeological site. It was the largestmonastery south of the Himalayas where Lord Buddha and

his disciples are believed to have spent a long time preaching. The excavated historical remains

include a grand quadrangular courtwith 77 rooms and a pyramidal cruciform temple. It is a

UNESCO World Heritage Site. Not far from Paharpur, there is another archeological landmark

in Mahastangarh. It is known to have been one of the biggest place of worship

for Hindus. With imposing semi-circular constructions and hand-carved designs, these temples

beside a river offer a spectacular view.

The Sundarbans: World’s Largest Mangrove Ecosystem The Sundarbans covering about one million ha in the delta of the rivers Ganga, Brahmaputra

and Meghna at the point where it mergeswith the Bay of Bengal, is the single largest block of

tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world sharedbetween Bangladesh (62%) and India (38%),

whichm supports a large, biodiversity-rich unique ecosystem. With its array of trees and wildlife

the forest is a showpiece of natural history. It is also a center of economic activities, such as

extraction of timber, fishing and collection of honey. The area of Sundarban experiences a

subtropical monsoonal climate with an annual rainfall of 1600-1800 mm and severe cyclonic

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storms. Enormous amount of sediments carried by the three rivers contribute to its expansion and

dynamics.

Salinity gradients change over a wide range ofspatial and temporal scales. Interestingly, the

Bangladesh and Indian portion of the forest are listed in the UNESCO world heritage list

separately as the Sundarbans, the “beautiful forest”, and Sundarban National Park respectively,

though they are simply parts of the same forest. The Sundarbans is intersected by a complex

network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests, and

presents an excellent example of ongoing ecological processes. The area is known for its wide

range of flora and fauna. The most famous among these are the maneating Royal Bengal Tigers,

but numerous species of birds, spotted deer, crocodiles and snakes also inhabit it. The mangroves

have been extensively exploited over centuries for timber, fish and prawns, honey, fodder, or

converted for paddy and aquaculture and now it faces the serious challenges for its existence.

Javan rhino, wild buffalo, hog deer, and barking deer are already extinct from the area. While

conservation efforts have focused on wildlife, particularly tiger, through creation of several

sanctuaries

and a biosphere reserve, reduced freshwater inflows are a serious threat as salinity is rising.

Heritiera fomes (from which Sundarban derives its name), Nypa fruticans and Phoenix paludosa

are declining rapidly. Other threats to ersity come from the growing human population, pollution,

anda rise in sea level.

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Discover The Hidden Treasures of Sandwip Island

Sandwip Island may not be everybody’s idea of a great holiday destination but the more adventurous might want to seek it out and discover its many hidden treasures. The island is located in southeastern Bangladesh and is quite different from other parts of the country. So how exactly is this island different from other parts of the country? For starters, it is an island so it has been more or less separated from mainland Bangladesh for many years – even if inhabitants could use a boat to travel between the island and the mainland. What makes it especially unique is that this is not a coastal island – it is a river island that is situated in the Meghn River estuary. Despite its location the island is so big that it is home to almost 400 000 people! There are also as many as fifteen different wards, 62 mahallas and 34 villages on Sandwip Is-land. The entire island is 50 kilometers long and 5-15 kilometers wide. Sandwip Island in Bangladesh has a great historical legacy. The island itself is about 3000 years old and it has been ruled by many different people over the centuries, including Delwar Khan. It was aPortuguese and Arakanese pirate stronghold during the 17th century and even today some of the

architecture on the island reflects this part of the island’s history. However, the governor of

Bengal saw fit to put an end to this in 1665 as part of attempts to stop his people from being

misled by the wild fancies of these unreligious and thieving individuals. Under British rule its

location proved to be a bit of an administrative problem. Today it is well and truly a part of

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Bangladesh. It is not very developed, but where it is developed you may see remnants of its

interesting past.

One of the nice things about Sandwip Island in Bangladesh is that it has been formed by silt

deposits from the Meghna river. This makes it an incredibly fertile island – something which the

people of the island have been exploiting for years. Large crops of rice, dal, vegetables,

coconuts, battle leave and wheat have all been grown on the island

at some point in its history. Today the main crops are melons, mangos, pineapples, gaab, jam,

coconut and various crops. Sandwip has also gained a reputation for being a premier ship

manufacturer. There are a lot of different things to see on this incredible

little island – why not visit it and discover them for yourself?