Ramu about 10 km from Cox’s Bazar, is a village with a sizeable
Buddhist population. The village is famous for its handicrafts and
homemade cigars. There are monasteries, khyangs and pagodas containing
images of Buddha in gold, bronze and other metals inlaid with precious
stones. One of the most interesting of these temples is on the bank of
the Baghkhali river. It houses not only interesting relics and Burmes
handicrafts but also a large bronze statue of Buddha measuring thirteen
feet high and rests on a six feet high pedestal. The wood carving of
this khyang is very delicate and refined. The village has a charm of its
own. Weavers ply their trade in open workshops and craftsmen make
handmade cigars in their pagoda like houses.
Teknaf is the southernmost upazila of Cox’s Bazar district as
well as Bangladesh. It is a small township on the Naf river at the end
of the hilly region. It is an amazing place facing the green hills of
Myanmar across the Naf River. One of the major attractions of Teknaf is a
cruise by boat or sampan. The town and its surrounding areas provide
visitors an opportunity to see the people and culture of the Arakan and
Rakhain communities. Teknaf beach is an attractive tourist spot.
Besides, there is another beautiful beach at Shahpari dwip at the
farthest end of this upazila.
Bangladesh's tribal population was enumerated at 897,828 in the
1981 census. These tribes are concentrated in the Chittagong Hill Tracts
and around Mymensingh, Sylhet, and Rajshahi. They are of Sino-Tibetan
descent and differ markedly in their social customs, religion, language
and level of development. The speak Tibeto-Burman languages and most are
Buddhist or Hindu. The four largest tribes are Chakmas, Marmas,
Tipperas and Mros. Smaller groups include the Santals in Rajshahi and
Dinajpur, and Khasis, Garos, and Khajons in Mymensingh and Sylhet
regions.
Maheshkhali is a small island (268 square kilometres) off the
Cox’s Bazar coast. The island offers panoramic scenic beauty and is
covered by a range of low hills, about 300 feet (91 m) high, streatches
through the center of the island and along its eastern coastline. The
coasts of the island on the west and north form a low-lying tract that
is fringed by the mangrove forests.[18] Adinath Temple, a temple of
Shiva, and a Buddhist pagoda are also located on this island.
Sonadia Island, a small crescent shaped island of only 9 square
kilometres, it is 7-km north-west of Cox's Bazar. The western side of
the island is sandy and different kinds of shells are found on the
beach. Off the northern part of the island, there are beds of window
pane oysters. During winter, fisherman set up temporary camps on the
island and dry their catches of sea fish. Sonadia Island supports the
last remaining part of mangrove forest in southeast Bangladesh.
Sonadia's mangroves are distinct from the well-known sunderbans, due to
their development in a coastal lagoon setting rather than in a
delta.[19] Another attraction of this island is the sight of game birds
migrating here in great numbers during the winter seasons.
Nijhum Dwip means, Silent Island is a small island under Hatiya
upazila. It is situated in Noakhali District in Bangladesh. Once it was
called as Char Osman.
This virgin new island of Nijhum Dwip raised on the estuary of
the great Meghna channel in the mouth of The Bay of Bengal. The
geographical location has been identified just 2 kilometers south west
of Hatia under Noakhali district. This newly accredited island may be
called as cluster of islands consist of more than 4-5 small islands like
Char Osman, Char Kamla, Corner of Char Osman and isolated from the
mainland by Hatia channel.
This Island could be the next prime tourist spot after St.
Martins Island. It’s a natural beauty of mangrove forests where you will
find Dears of specific species and Monkeys. A huge numbers of migrated
birds come in this Island in winter season, enhancing the beauty of this
Island. The communication is not excellent but if some one wishes to bear the trouble to go to this Island, he will be enchant to
see the beauty of this Island.
Chhera island ( Chhera Dwip ) is an extension of St. Martin's
Island but divided by sea during tides. During low tide period, the
Chhera island can be reached by walking for about two and a half hours
from St. Martin's Island. Most popular medium is by local motorboat or
tourist boat. Corals can be found all over the island. Island's has a
beautiful small bush area which is also the only green region of it. No
permanent settlement is established except for tourists.
Himchari: Located about 18 km south of Cox’s
Bazar along the sea beach, is a nice place for the picnic and film
shooting. This picnic spot is famous for its waterfalls. The road to
Himchari runs by the open sea on one side and hills on the other which
makes the journey to Himchari very attractive. Its another attraction is
the Christmas tree.
Enani Beach: Located 35 km south of Cox’s
Bazar, this white sandy beach is located within Ukhia Thana.[15] This
beach is famous for its golden sand and clean shark free water which is
ideal for sea bathing. Most tourists prefer to come down here for
relaxing because it is free from the crowd of tourists that is usually
seen at the Laboni beach.
Decidedly untypical of Bangladesh in topography and culture, the
Chittagong Hill Tracts have steep jungle hills, Buddhist tribal peoples
and relatively low density population. The tracts are about 60km (37mi)
east of Chittagong. The region comprises a mass of hills, ravines and
cliffs covered with dense jungle, bamboo, creepers and shrubs, and has
four main valleys formed by the Karnapuli, Feni, Shangu and Matamuhur
rivers. The hills rise steeply thus looking far more impressive than
what their height would imply and extend in long narrow ridges. The
highest peaks on the northern side are Thangnang, Langliang and
Khantiang while those on the southern side are Ramu, Taung, Keekradang,
Tahjindong (4632 ft, highest in Bangladesh), Mowdok Mual, Rang Tlang and
Mowdok Tlang. The Hill Tracts is divided into three districts, namely
Rangamati, Khagrachari and Bandarban.
The War Cemetery on Badshah Mia Road is another place of
historic interest. It contains the graves of 755 soldiers of the Allied
Forces who laid down their lives on the Indo-Burmese front during World
War II. Most of the soldiers buried there were from Australia, Britain,
Canada, East and West Africa, British India and New Zealand. The total
area of the cemetery is eight acres and it is protected and maintained
by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Dulahazra Safari Park was developed on an undulating landscape
of around 2,224 acres (9.00 km2) of area at Chakaria Upazila in Cox's
Bazar District, Bangladesh, some 107 km away from the port city, with an
objective to create facilities for eco-tourism, research work and
entertainment aside from conserving wild animals in a natural
enviro
Dulahazra Park is home to at least 4,000 animals of 165 species.
After the new government took over in January 2007, joint forces
rescued many of these new residents of the park during their drives at
houses and establishments owned by graft suspects. Many individuals also
‘donated’ some of the animals to the park during this period. The
seized and donated animals recently sent to the park include 90 spotted
deer (chital), 42 barking deer (maya, a species of muntjac deer), three
sambar deer, one freshwater crocodile, one saltwater crocodile, nine
black bear, four pythons, 17 peacocks, 19 Turkish pheasants and two
emus.
Other source of animale includes the Dhaka Zoo. While the animal
population in Dhaka zoo has increased over the years due to their
breeding, the Dhaka zoo donates a number of lions and tigers to the
Dulhazra Safari Park.
Visitor Attractions: The park itself protects a
large number of wild elephants which are native to the area. In the
safari park there are domesticated elephants which are available for a
ride. Other animal attractions include lions, Bengal tigers, Crocodiles,
Bears, Chitals and lots of different types of birds and monkeys.
Since the park was made open to the public, it has been drawing a huge
crowd all year round — 6,000 visitors daily during peak season (November
to March) and 2,000 visitors daily during off season (April to
October).
St. Martin's Island, a small island in the northeast part of the
Bay of Bengal, about 9 km south of the tip of the Cox's Bazar-Teknaf
peninsula. It is the only coral island in Bangladesh. It is about 8 km
west of the northwest coast of Myanmar at the mouth of the Naf River.
The local name of the island is "Narical Gingira", also spelled "Narikel
Janjina/Jinjera", translated from Bangla, meaning 'Coconut Island'. St.
Martin's Island has become a popular tourist spot. Three shipping
liners run daily trips to the island. They are Kutubdia, Sea-Truck and
Keary-Sindbad. Tourists can book their trip either from Chittagong or
from Cox's Bazar. The surrounding coral reef of the island has an
extension named Chera Dwip. The island is home to several endangered
species of turtles, as well as the corals, some of which are found only
on this island.
November to February is the main tourist season with the best
weather, though keep an eye on the forecast, as the occasional cyclone
can strike during this time.
The Chittagong Ethnological Museum, country’s lone ethnological
museum, offers the visitors the chance to acquaint with the lifestyles
and heritage of various ethnic groups of the country. It was established
in 1965. The museum authorities had collected rare elements used in
everyday lives of different ethnic groups, of which some had already
become extinct while some were on the verge of extinction. The museum
contains four galleries and a small hall. Three galleries of the museum
feature diverse elements of 25 ethnic groups, including Chakma, Marma,
Tongsinga, Khumi, Murang, Sautal, Garo, Chak, Monipuri, Palia, Tipra,
Hajang, Lusai, Shimuji, and Bom while the rest gallery displays the
lifestyles of some racial groups of India, Pakistan, and Australia. The
sculptures of the people of different ethnic communities and a piece of
broken Berlin Wall draw the visitors especially the children who can get
impression of different festivals, livelihoods, and cultures of the
communities from the murals set up at the hall room. These are
reminiscent of the museum in the film 'Planet of the Apes'. People
between 200 and 300 visits the museum every day in addition to a number
of researchers from home and abroad.
Foy's Lake is a human-made lake in Chittagong, Bangladesh. The
lake was once just a lake and spillway constructed by Assam-Bengal
Railway engineer. It was dug in 1924 and was named after the English
engineer Mr. Foy. The lake is next to Batali Hill, the highest hill in
Chittagong Metropolitan area. An amusement park, managed by the Concord
group, is located here which features usual theme park rides and
attractions as well as boat rides on the lake, landscaping, restaurants,
concerts with floating stages, scenic walking trails and many other fun
activities. The park includes a water theme park, resort and an
amusement center. The Chittagong Zoo is next door. Chittagong is known
as the land of saints, darwishes and fakirs. Several mosques and shrines
bear testimony to their presence in the city.
Patenga Beach is a popular tourist spot. The beach lies
approximately twenty kilometers outside the city of Chittagong, and
located near to fascinating landmarks including the Shah Amanat
International Airport and the BNS Isha Khan Naval Base. It is located at
the 'Karnaphuli' River mouth and stretches to the Bay of Bengal which
ensures a constant influx of travelers and visitors from home and
abroad. The beach width is narrow and swimming in the seas is not
recommended. Part of the seashore is built-up with concrete walls. Also
large blocks of stones have been laid out to prevent erosion. During
1990s a host of restaurants and kiosks have sprouted out around the
beach area. After the sun-down, drug-peddlers start to approach
visitors. Also, alcohol peddling is very common. Lighting of the beach
area has enhanced the security aspect of visiting in the evening.
Vendors from the city flock to Patenga Beach to sell their selection of
ice creams, cold drinks and food to the hundreds of tourists who come to
Patenga Beach. The beach is lined with massive shady palm trees and
fishing boats. It is quite sandy, with a few rocky patches here and
there. Most visitors come to 'Patenga' Beach as it is known for having
some of the most stunning sunsets and sunrises in Bangladesh.
Rajshahi Division is one of the seven administrative divisions
of Bangladesh. It has a population of almost 16 million and area of
about 18,195 km². Rajshahi division consists of 8 districts (Bogra,
Joypurhat, Naogaon, Natore, Nawabganj, Pabna, Rajshahi, Sirajganj), 70
Upazilas (the next lower administrative tier) and 1,092 Unions (the
lowest administrative tier). This division is characterized by its cheap
labour force. It has an excellent rail and road communication
infrastructure. The divisional city Rajshahi is only four hours road
journey away from Dhaka, the capital city. However, recently a new
division has been curved out of Rajshahi Division namely Rangpur
Division. So the given area and population will definitely decrease in
the division. Rajshahi was dominated by various Rajas, Maharajas and
Zamindars.
Mahasthangarh
Paharpur Buddhist Monastery
Kantajee's Temple
Ramshagor Dighi
Shopnopuri
Choto Sona Mosque
Varendra Research Museum
Puthia
Rani Vabani Place
Uttara Ganabavhan
Mahasthangarh
It is considered the oldest archaeological site of the county.
It is located at a distance of 18 km north or Bogra town on the western
bank of the Karatoa river. The spectacular site is an imposing landmark
in the area. having a long fortified enclosure. Beyond the fortified
area, other ancient ruins fan out within a semicircle of about 8 km
radius. Several isolated mounds, the local names of which are Govinda
Bhita Temple, Khodia Pathar Mound, Mankalir Kunda, Parsuramer Bedi,
Jiyat Kunda etc. surround the fortified city. This 3rd century B.C.
archaeological site is still held to be of great sanctity by the Hindus.
Every year (mid-April) and once every 12 years (in December) thousands
of Hindu devotees join the bathing ceremony on the bank of the Karatoa
river.
A visit to the Mahasthangarh site museum will acquaint tourists
with wide variety or antiquities, ranging form terracotta objects to
gold ornaments and coins recovered from the site. Also noteworthy are
the shrine or Shah Sultan Bulki Mahisawaiy and Gokul Medh in the
neighbourhood of Mahasthangarh.
Paharpur Buddhist Monastery
It is treated as the Largest Buddhist Seat of Learning of South
Asia. It is a small village, 5 km west of Jamalganj in the greater
Rajshahi district, where the remains of the most important and the
largest known monastery south of the Himalayas has been excavated. This
7th century AD archaeological find covers an area of approximately 11
hectare. The entire establishment, occupying a Quadrangular court,
measures more than 300 meters and varies from 3.5 to 4.5 meters in
height with an elaborate gateway complex on the north, there are 45
cells on the north and 44 in each of the other three sides, with a total
number of 177 rooms.
The architecture of the pyramidal cruciform temple is profoundly
influenced by those of South-East Asia, especially Myanmar and Java. It
had taken its name from a high mound, which looked like a Pahar or
hillock. A site museum built recently houses a representative collection
of objects recovered from the area. The excavated findings have also
been preserved at the Varendra Research Museum at Rajshahi. The
antiquities in the museum include terracotta plaques, images of
different gods and goddesses, pottery, coin inscription, ornamental
bricks and other minor clay objects included as world heritage site
first in Bangladesh.
Kantajee's Temple
Kantajew Temple is a late medieval Hindu temple in Dinajpur,
Bangladesh. Built by Maharaja Pran Nath, its construction started in
1702 C.E. and ended in 1752 C.E., during the reign of his son Maharaja
Ramnath. It boasts one of the greatest examples on Terracotta
architecture in Bangladesh and once had nine spires, but all were
destroyed in an earthquake that took place in 1897.
The temple was built in a nava-ratna (nine-spired) style before
the destruction caused by the earthquake of 1897.
The 52 feet square temple is centered in an oblong court, 240 × 120 ft
(73 × 37 m), covered by a shed with a roof of corrugated tin. Its main
fabric pivots around a nuclear square cell (10 ft 3 in (3.12 m)),
reaching a height of about 50 ft (15 m) above its 3 ft 3 in (0.99 m)
high slab of stone, thought to have been mined from the ancient ruins of
Bannagar near Gangarampur in Dinajpur. Three more square outer shells
in graded heights have been added to it, to variegate the plan as well
as to strengthen the central sanctuary on top of the massive tower.
The curved cornice from the ground floor, which sharply drops at
the corners, rises in the middle to a height of 25 ft 0 in (7.62 m)
from the plinth, while the first floor cornice rises to 15' and the
second floor to 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m). Small square cells are situated at
the four corners of the ground and first floors. They serve the purpose
of supporting the weight of the octagonal corner towers above. The
temple contains four rectangular alleys on the ground floor circling the
prayer hall which measure 30 ft 8 in (9.35 m) by 5 ft 0 in (1.52 m) and
15 ft 6 in (4.72 m) by 4 ft 4 in (1.32 m). On the ground floor. Three
multi-cusped arched entrances on each side are present, which are
separated by two ornate brick pillars. The number of arched doorways in
the ground floor in its four shells is 21; on the first floor it is 27.
The second floor, reduced in size, has only three entrance doors and
three windows. A narrow staircase, only 2 ft 3 in (0.69 m) wide, is
built into the western second corridor. It winds up through the dark
passage to the first two stories.
Ramshagor Dighi
Ramsagar, located in the village Tejpur in Dinajpur District, is
the largest man made lake in Bangladesh. It is situated about 8
kilometers south of the Dinajpur town.
The lake is about 1,079 meters wide from North to South, and
192.6 meters long from East to West. It was created in the mid 1750s,
funded by Raja Ram Nath, after whom the lake is named. The excavation
cost 30,000 taka at that time, and about 1.5 million labourers took part
in the project.
Choto Sona Mosque
One of the most graceful monuments of the Sultanate period is
the Chhota Sona Masjid or Small Golden Mosque at Gaur in Rajshahi. Built
by one Wali Muhammad during the reign of Sultan Alauddin Husain Shah
(1493-1519), it was originally roofed over with 15 gilded domes
including the 3 Chauchaiqa domes in the middle row, from which it
derives its curious name.
Varendra Research Museum
Varendra Museum is a museum, research center and popular visitor
attraction located at the heart of Rajshahi town and maintained by
Rajshahi University in Bangladesh.
Varendra Museum was the first museum to be established in
erstwhile East Bengal in 1910. The museum started out as the collection
for Varendra Anushandhan Samiti or Varendra Investigation Society and
got its current name in 1919. The Rajahs of Rajshahi and Natore, notably
Prince Sharat Kumar Ray, donated their personal collections to Varendra
Museum. Varendra refers to an ancient janapada roughly corresponding to
modern northern Bangladesh.
Shopnopuri
It is one of the most beautiful artificial tourist spot in North Bengal.
Sylhet division has enormous tourism potentials. There is a green carpet of tea plants on small hillocks. Natural reserved forests are great attractions. Migratory birds in winter, particularly in the haor areas, are also very attractive in this area.The major tourist destinations surrounding the city are Jaflong, Sripur, Habiganj, Madhabkunda waterfall, Golapganj Botanical Gardens and Maulvi Bazar.
The Shrine of Hazrat ShahJalal
Sri Chaitannya Dev Temple
Gour Gobinda Fort
Madhabkunda Waterfall
Lawacherra Rain Forest
Handicrafts of Sylhet
Manipuri Dance
Jointapur's Rajbari
Jaflong
Tamabil
Srimongol (Tea Plantation, Tea Menufacturer and Tea garden)
1. Shrine of Hazrat Shah Jalal Temple
Shah Jalal is a saint of Bengal particularly in the region of Sylhet, Bangladesh. Jalal's name is associated with the Muslim conquest of Sylhet, for which he is given the most credit. He was buried at Sylhet. Shahjalal International Airport, Bangladesh's main airport is named in honour of this saint.
Born Makhdum Jalal ad-Deen bin Muhammad, he was later known as Shaikh-ul-Mashaikh he was also known as Yamani(R) Hazrat Shah Jalal ad-Din al-Mujarrad (the last name could be related to his lifelong celibacy or performing of prayers in solitary milieu). Shah Jalal's date and place of birth is unclear. Various traditions, folklore and historical documents differ. A number of scholars claim that he was born in 1271 in Konya, Turkey, and later moved to Yemen, either as a child or adult, while vast majority of scholars believe he was born in Quni, Hadramout in Yemen. He was the son of a Muslim cleric, who was a contemporary of the Persian poet and Sufi saint, Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi. He was educated and raised by his maternal uncle, Syed Ahmed Kabir, in Mecca. He excelled in his studies and became a Hafiz (one who has committed the Qur'an to memory) and was proficient in Islamic theology. He achieved Kamaliyat (spiritual perfection) after 30 years of study and meditation.
2. Sri Chaitannya Dev Temple
About 500 years old, this famous temple of Sri Chaitannya Dev is located at Dhaka Dakhin nearly 45 km. south-east of Sylhet town. The place is revered for being the ancestral home of the famous vaishnava saint. An anual fair is organised during the full moon of Bangla month falgun. Hundreds and thousands of devotees from home and abord attend this colorful fair.
3. Madhabkunda Waterfall
Madhabkunda is surrounded by lush tea estates and is full of water lilies. There make an enchanting combination with the largest waterfall in Bangladesh. Every year thousands of tourists are drawn to Madhabkunda because of its natural beauty, especially in winter (Nov-Feb), when they may come for picnics or longer pleasure trips. It is in the district of Moulvi Bazar, about 5 km from Dakhinbagh railway station, and 350 km from Dhaka city. Everywhere a lot of rubber & lemon plantations are seen to form a beautiful landscape.
4. Lawacherra Rain Forest
Lawachara is one of the major national sanctuary in Bangladesh. In 1997 Bangladesh government declared it A National Park. This forest is built by the British, the time of their rule in Indian Subcontinent.
Biological diversity in the Lawachara National Park consists of 460 species, of which 167 species are plants, 4 amphibian species, 6 reptile species, 246 bird species and 20 mammal species.
Different types of plants make the natural view of 'Lawachara' more thrilling and attractive. Trees like Raktan, Erythrina Indica, Shegun, Orchid, Fishtail Palm, Dhootora, etc. are found in plenty in 'Lawachara'. 'Lawachara' consists of a huge bamboo forest. Among the bamboos, 'Jai Bash' is a bamboo which is very thick and very rare. 'Agor' tree is another excellent legend in 'Lawachara'.
5. Jaflong
Jaflong is a natural tourist spot in the Division of Sylhet, Bangladesh. It is located in Gowainghat Upazila of Sylhet District and situated at the border between Bangladesh and the Indian state of Meghalaya. It is just below the mountain range. It is totally a hilly area of real natural beauty where hills are greenish with the forests. Jaflong is famous for its stone collections and is home of the Khasi tribe. Jaflong is also a scenic spot nearby amidst tea gardens and rate beauty of rolling stones from hills.
Attractions: Jaflong attracts tourists for its beautiful scenary, Collection of Rolling Stones Colorful Tribal (Khasia) Life, Khasia Rajbari (king’s palace), Dauki & Piyain Rivers, Tea Garden, Orange & Jackfruit Gardens, Betel leaf & Areca nut Gardens and Dauki Bazar.
6. Tamabil
Situated amidst a splendid panorama, Tamabil is a border outpost on the Sylhet-Shilong Road, about 55 km away from Sylhet town. Besides the enchanting views of the area one can also have a glimpse of the waterfalls across the border from Tamabil. Nearby Jaflong is a scenic spot amidst tea gardens, where one can see stones that have rolled down the hills.
Stone collection from the river at Jaflong is a recent phenomena. The boulders come as stream water loads from the upstream in Indian state of Meghalaya. Stone collection activities generated earnings for thousands of people. The stones are used for road and building construction, household uses and as souvenir. Stone crushing industries have also come up recently. The activities create air pollution, river shifting and bank erosion and land slides in the hill slopes.
7. Srimongol (Tea Plantation, Tea Menufacturer and Tea garden)
Srimongal is famous for having the largest tea gardens in the world. Covered by the lush green carpet of tea plants, it is called "the land of two leaves and a bud". Tourists can have a look at the terraced tea garden and pineapple, rubber and lemon plantations. The visitor to a tea estate is greeted by sweet smells and a pretty landscape that will beguile the imagination. About 80 km from Sylhet town and connected by road and rail. Srimongal is known as the tea capital of Bangladesh. A visit to a tea plantation in Srimongal is a memorable experience
