RangamatiIf you don’t visit Rangamati you will not discover a big portion of natural beauties of Bangladesh. From Chittagong a 77 km. road amidst green fields and winding hills will take you to Rangamati. It is also connected by waterway from Kaptai.
Hanging Bride, Rangamati
This is the only place to visit through out the year. Rangamati expresses her full beauty in rainy season. Trees becoming greener, waterfalls are in full tide, the river Karnaphuli in her full wave in this season. If you already visited Rangamati in winter, we advice to go there again in monsoon; you will feel the difference of nature yourself.
Parjatan holiday complex is the best place to stay in Rangamati. There are other hotels in Rangamati where you can stay. Boating is the prime attraction in Rangamati. You can go to Kaptai and also by Karnaphuli River you can go deep in side the hill areas where on the way you will find lots of natural waterfalls. If you wish you can take shower in the waterfall or you can swim in the river. By boat you can visit the tribal villages, King Chakma's (tribal) Palace that is called Chakma Rajbari, Rajbonbihar pagoda, Tribal museum etc. You can also enjoy the tribal handmaid crafts if you go for shopping in the local market.
Kaptai Lake
Built in early sixties Kaptai Dam and the lake are the main attractions of Kaptai. If you are not visiting Kaptai separately then, don’t forget to go for a boating up to Kaptai on the Kaptai Lake while you go to Rangamati tour.
Khagrachari
Khagrachori Waterfall
Khagrachhari is the natural wild beauty of Bangladesh. Here you can visit the tribal lifestyle of Chakmas’ in Khagrachari. You can also visit Alutila hill. Approximately 100 meters long a very dark Cave is the mysterious beauty of Alutila hill.
Bandarban
Lots of hills and hilly areas, waterfalls, River Sangu, Lakes and the tribal culture are the main attraction of Bandarban .
You can go to Bandarban from Chittagong by road. Chimbuk hill is one of the major attractions of Bandarban. You can enjoy the journey to Chimbuk Hill by jig jag hilly roads. It’s the third highest mountain in Bangladesh of approx. 3000 ft height. Reach Chimbuk by jeep or microbus from Rangamati. A beautiful Rest house is there on the top of Chimbuk hill.
If you are lucky then you can feel the clouds touching your whole body. If you take the prior permission from Roads and Highway Department you can spent a night in the rest house on the top of Chimbuk hill. If you stay there a night, you will remember your stay for your whole life with the calmness of nature hearing sometimes the wild animals squalling.
Ruma hill
Ruma is another hill town on the same rout of Chimbuk. If you wish to visit Ruma, then 01st go to Ruma spend some time there and then come back to Chimbuk Hill.
Shailaproat waterfall
You can enjoy the Shailapropat a waterfall in Bandarban. Its also a tourist attraction of waterfall surrounded by hills & forest; be carefully while you go to Shailapropat - the rocky path way is very slippery, if you are not cautious there is a good chance to sleep & make an accident there.
Meghla spot
Another tourist spot in Bandarban is Meghla - it’s a beautiful spot where you can enjoy boat or speedboat riding on the lake Meghla. If you are lucky you may see the wild animals in the forest. There are small shades in this spot to protect you from rains in the season of monsoon and from the hit of the Sun in hot summer days. A beautiful hanging wooden bridge enhances the beauty of this spot. In one side there are some constructions and facilities for the tourists like tower, restaurant while on the other side is wild life, natural forest and hills. In the town you can visit the house where the king of tribe Chakma lives and from there you can visit the archeological museum of Bandarban. In this museum you will find the archeological history of the tribal life and the tribes of hill areas of Bandarban. The museum authority has set up various tribal houses in the museum, which will give you a brief idea of kinds of tribal houses, their design and architectural structures.
Bandarban is a district in South-Eastern Bangladesh, and a part of the Chittagong Division and Chittagong Hill Tracts. Bandarban (meaning the dam of monkeys), or in Marma or Arakanese language as "Rwa-daw Mro" is also known as Arvumi or the Bohmong Circle of the rest of the three hill districts Rangamati is the Chakma Circle and Khagrachari is the Mong Circle. Bandarban town is the home town of the Bohmong Chief (currently King, or Raja, Aung Shwe Prue Chowdhury) who is the head of the Marma population. It also is the administrative headquarter of Bandarban district, which has turned into one of the most exotic tourist attractions in Bangladesh since the insurgency in Chittagong Hill Tracts has ceased more than a decade back.
One of the three hill districts of Bangladesh and a part of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bandarban (4,479 km²) is not only the remotest district of the country, but also is the least populated (population 292,900). The three highest peak of Bangladesh - Tahjindong (1280 meters, also known as bijoy)[* The height of Tahjindong is 829.66m +/-3m as per a recent measurement with Garmin GPSMAP60CSX GPS], Mowdok Mual (1052 m), and Keokradong (1230 m) [* The height of Keokradong is 986m +/-3m as per a recent measurement with Garmin GPSMAP60CX GPS], - are located in Bandarban district, as well as Raikhiang Lake, the highest lake in Bangladesh[citation needed]. Chimbuk peak and Boga Lake are two more highly noted features of the district. The newly reported highest peak of Bangladesh - Saka Haphong (3488 ft) is also here in Thanchi upazila.
Inside Bangladesh, Bandarban is bordered by Cox's Bazaar, Chittagong, Rangamati and Khagrachari. On the other side of the national border lies Myanmar provinces of Chin and Arakan. The district also features river Sangu, also known as Sangpo or Shankha, the only river born inside Bangladesh territory. The other rivers in the district are Matamuhuri and Bakkhali. Meranja, Wailatong, Tambang and Politai are the four hill ranges here. Parts of the biggest lake in Bangladesh - Kaptai Lake - fall under the area of Bandarban.
Balaghata Buddhist
Bandarban lies, by bus, eight hours away from Dhaka, two hours from Chittagong and three hours from Cox's Bazaar. It is also possible to get there by a six hour bus ride from Rangamati.
The Buddha Dhatu Jadi, the largest Buddhist temple in Bangladesh, located in Balaghata, 4 km from the town, is one excellent place to visit. This Theravada Buddhist temple is made completely in the style of South-East Asia and houses the second largest statue of Buddha in Bangladesh. The waterfall named Shoilo Propat at Milanchari is also an excellent site.
The hanging bridge at Meghla.
The numerous Buddhist temples, known as kyang in local tongue, and bhihars in the town include the highly notable the Rajvihar (royal vihar) at Jadipara and the Ujanipara Bhihar. Bawm villages around Chimbuk, and Mru villages a little further off, are also lie within a day's journey from the town. Prantik Lake, Jibannagar and Kyachlong Lake are some more places of interest. And, a boat ride on the river Sangu is also an excellent proposition.
Bandarban Town
A nearly 52 km² hill-town housing about 32,000 people, of which the majority are Marma. There is a Tribal Cultural Institute here, which features a library and a museum. The town also features Bandarban Town Hospital (offering the best medical service in the district), the District Public Library, Bandarban Government College, the District Stadium, banashri, the solitary movie theatre, the royal cemetery, and, of course, the Royal Palace (two of them since the 11th and 13th royal lines both claim the throne). Apart from the numerous kyangs and mosques, there is a temple dedicated to Kali, the most revered goddess of Hindus is Bangladesh, as well as a centre maintained by ISKON.
History
In the early days of 15th century, Arakanese kingdom, where Mrauk U was the capital, expended its territories to the Chittagong area of Bengal. After the victory of Arakan on Burma's Pegu kingdom in 1599 AD, the Arakanese king Mong Raja Gree appointed a Prince of Pegu as the governor of newly established Bohmong Htaung (Circle) by giving the title of "Bohmong" Raja. That area was mostly populated by the Arakanese descendants and ruled by the Burmese (Myanmar) noble descendants who started to call themselves in Arakanese language as Marma. Marma is an archaic Arakanese pronunciation for Myanmar. As the population of the Bohmong Htaung were of Arakanese descandants, these Myanmar-descendants Bohmong chiefs (Rajas) of the ruling class took the titles in Arakanese and speak a dialect of the Arakanese language.
Bandarban Hill District was once called Bohmong Htaung since the Arakanese rule. Once Bohmong Htaung was ruled by Bohmong Rajas who were the subordinates to the Arakanese kings. Ancestors of the present Bohmong dynasty were the successor of the Pegu King of Burma under the Arakan's rule in Chittagong. In 1614, King Mong Kha Maung, the king of Arakan appointed Maung Saw Pru as Governor of Chittagong who in 1620 repulsed the Portuguese invasion with great valour. As a consequence, Arakanese king, Mong Kha Maung adorned Maung Saw Pru with a title of Bohmong meaning Great General. After the death of Maung Saw Pru two successors retained Bohmong title. During the time of Bohmong Hari Gneo in 1710, Arakanese King Canda Wizaya recaptured Chittagong from the Mughals. Bohmong Hari Gneo helped King Canda Wizaya in recapturing Chittagong and as a mark of gratitude the later conferred on Bohmong Hari Gneo the grand title of Bohmong Gree which means great Commander in Chief.
British and Pakistani rule
During the British reign in 1690 The Raide of Frontier Tribes Act -22 was passed which among other things envisaged the creation of Chittagong Hill Tracts District comprising the entire hilly region along the south eastern border of present day Bangladesh, stretching right from Tripura in the north and Myanmar in the south. The act also provided for the appointment of a superintendent to discharge the administrative functions under the direct control and supervision of Divisional Commissioner of Chittagong. However seven years later in 1697 the post of superintendent was redesignated as that of Deputy Commissioner.
In 1900 the Chittagong Hill Tracts Regulations 1900 was enacted to provide a consolidated and broader legal framework for the administrative system. This Act with minor modifications constituted the fundamentals for the administration of three hill districts. Recognizing the special historical and geographical features of the place as well as uniqueness of tribal population, the Regulation of 1900 divided the entire district into three circles. Each circle was to be headed by a circle chief whose primary responsibility was to collect revenue, assisted by a Headman (Head of a Mouza) and a Karbari (Head of a Village) respectively at Mouza and village level. The Bohmong king was appointed as the Circle Chief of the Bohmong Circle. During the British period, the area of Bohmong circle under Bandarban and Lama Thana was operated as lowest administrative unit, with a Circle Officer as its head.
During World War II the area saw the presence of a formidable British military presence that came to stand against a Japanese invasion. The tribes of these hills held the reputation of unyielding rebellion throughout history. When India, Pakistan and Myanmar went independent from the Raj, the tribes of Bandarban flew the Myanmar, then known as Burma, flag for a few days. During the Bangladesh Liberation War (1971) to gain independence from Pakistan, leaders of the tribal people sought allegiance with Pakistan government though most the general tribal people were against the decision.
Since Bangladeshi independence
In the late 1970s, a policy of forced settling of Bengalis into Chittagong Hill Tracts to change the demography of the region was pursued, which later gave rise to much violence against the hill people and the insurgency led by Shanti Bahini.[1] There have been an attempt to create divide among tribal cultural lines between the Chakmas, who led Shantibanhini, and the Mrus, by creating an anti-Shantibanhini militia out of them. Now, after the peace treaty, Bandarban stands as a locally governed ethnic region together with the two other hill districts. Representation of numerous tribes of the district in the Hill Council now stands as a thorn of dispute here.
Contemporary history of Bandarban has not been a happy one, despite much development initiatives taken by church organizations and UN agencies like UNICEF, UNDP and UNFPA as well as Bangladesh Army present in large numbers here. The district is still under a quasi-military rule. Insurgents from across the border[citation needed] as well as drugs and arms smugglers play a large role in the jungles here. Newspaper reports of discovering poppy fields[2][3] or arms caches[4] are not rare for Bandarban. There also is much tension between Bengali settlers and ethnic minorities, as well as between early Hindu settlers and recent Muslim settlers and between dominant tribes and lesser tribes.
Economy
Tribal People at work
Heavily dependent on Jumm farming, which is a slash and burn agricultural technique, Bandarban produces little that is of economic value outside self consumption of the hill people, also known as Jumia. Fruits (banana, pineapple, jackfruit, papaya), masala (ginger, turmeric) and tribal textile are the major exports of the district, with tourism growing fast as a source of revenue.[citation needed] Much of the trade in fruit, like most other commerce in the district, has been taken over by Bengali settlers.
Clothes are mostly made of cotton, wool imported from Myanmar and silk cotton which is a rarity in most of Bangladesh. All cotton is spun and woven by hand. To promote local textile there now is a Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industry Corporation (BSCIC) center in Bandarban together with a wonderful sales centre. BSCIC has also introduced mechanical spinning and weaving here.
Bamboo and tobacco grows in significant quantity, but largely is not considered as economically profitable products. Bamboo is used, along with canes, not just to make the traditional stilt houses, but is the material for most tribal craft, including the bamboo smoking pipe, a major health hazard. Some bamboo-craft and local-made cigarillos are now exported out of the district.
Two church-based development organization - Christian Commission for Development in Bangladesh (CCDB) and Caritas are the major forces of development in the district. UNICEF is driving the education effort, which is mostly directed at younger children.
Ethnographics
There are more than fifteen ethnic minorities living in the district besides the Bengalis, including: the Marma, Mru, Tanchangya, Bawm, Khyang, Tripura, Lushei, Khumi, Chak, Kuki, Chakma, Rakhine or Arakanese, Riyang, Usui and Pankho. The religious composition of the population, as of 1991, is 47.62% Muslim, 38% Buddhist, 7.27% Christian, 3.52% Hindu and 3.59% others.
The Mru, also known as Murong, who are famous for their music and dance. The Mru in major numbers have converted to the youngest religion in Bangladesh – Khrama (or Crama) – a religion that prohibits much of their old ways. They are proposed as the original inhabitants of Bandarban.
The Bawm are another major tribe here. Now converted almost totally to Christianity they have taken full advantage of the church to become the most educated people in the district.[citation needed]
The Marma, also known as Magh, are of Arakanese descendants and Buddhists by religion, and are the second largest ethnic group in the hill districts of Bangladesh.
The Chakma and the Tanchangya are also closely related. The Khumi live in the remotest parts of the district, and the group is thought to include yet unexplored/ unclassified tribes.[citation needed]
Hilly highway to Bandarban main town.
These ethnic groups are again divided in hundreds of clans and sects, principally dominated by four religious threads - Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Animism. All these clans and groups are clustered into two major ethnic families - the hill people and the valley people - though since the Kaptai dam flooded the valley to give birth to Kaptai lake, the valley people have started to live on hill tops along the hill people.
Bengali settlers, coming in with the forced settlements in 1979, and Rohingya settlers, coming in across the Myanmar border since the junta came to power in Yangon in 1992, now has become two major ethnic groups outside minorities. It must be noted that not all Bengalis are settlers,but most of them are.
Chittagong Hill Tracts: India Urged to Raise Minority Issues, Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization, March 20, 2006.
^ Poppy Cultivation of 100 Acres at Burma- Bangladesh Border Destroyed, Kalandan News, May 10, 2005.
^ Poppy cultivations destroyed in border area, Narinjara News, March 17, 2005.
^ Bangladeshi security forces seize another weapons cache, BurmaNews International, 25 November 2004.
^ Amardesh.com
^ Mother Tongue at Stake! - Cover Story on the Daily Star
^ From the land of the sunrise - the New Age
Referenceshttp://images.travelpod.com/users/sayma/thumbnail.large.1.1266503685.tribal-lady.jpgBandarban - the roof of Bangladesh
Bandarban - the roof of Bangladesh
92 km. from Chittagong by a metalled road, Bandarban is the district headquarters of the Bandarban hill district. It is home town of the Bohmang Chief who is the head of the Mogh tribe. The Moghs are of Myanmar origin and Buddhists by religion. The Moghs are a simple and hospitable people. Bandarban is also the home of the Murangs who are famous for their music and dance. Several other tribes of great ethnogical interest live in the remote areas of the district. The highest peak of Bangladesh - Tahjin dong (4632 ft.)- is located in the Bandarban district.
Sylhet
Blessed with a beautiful and bountiful nature, Sylhet is one of the popular tourist destinations of the country.For most part plain land , Sylhet is ringed by low hills on northern and southern boundaries. These are the foot hills of the Khasia and Jaintia range. Sylhet is dotted with lakes, thick forests and fruit gardens,. abounds in wildlife. The reserved forests have different species of birds and animals and ideal for bird watching and trekking.
The Sylhet valley is formed by a beautiful, winding pair of rivers named Surma and Kushiara both of which are fed by innumerable hill streams from the north and south. The valley has a good number of haors which are big natural depressions. During winter these haors are vast streches of green land, but in the rainy season they turn into turbulent seas. The haors provide sanctuary to millions of migratory birds who fly from the north across the Himalayas every winter.The patron saint of Sylhet is Hazrat Shah Jalal (RA). Sylhet town draws thousands of devotees and visitors every year.
The tea gardens stretch for miles like a green carpet spread over the slopes of the hills. There are excellent rest-house facilities in many of these tea gardens.
Mainamati
About eight km. to the west of Comilla town and 114 km. south-east of Dhaka lie the low hills of Mainamati-Lalmai ridge - an old centre of Buddhist culture. On the slopes of these hills lie scattered runis that testity to as a early Buddhist civilization (8th to 12th century). At Salban in the middle of the ridge, excavations have laid bare a large Buddhist Vihara (monastery) and an imposing central shrine. Further explorations have revealed valuable information on the rule of the Chandra and Deva dynasties which flourished here from the 8th to 12th century A.D. The whole range of hillocks run for about 18 km and is studded with more than 50 such sites. A site museum houses the archaeological finds that include terracotta plaques, bronze statues and caskets, coins, jewellery, utensils, pottery and votive stupas embossed with Buddhist inscriptions.
Mymensingh
The greater Mymensingh district stretches from the plains north of Dhaka to the Garo foothills that edge the northern border with India. Along the frontier line many tribes such as Garos, Hajongs and Kochis who are ethnically quite distinct from the people around them. Mymensingh has earned an important position in Bangla literature for its rich folklores and folk songs. On the road from Dhaka to Mymensingh there is a national park and game sanctuary at Madhupur about 160 km. from Dhaka. There are a number of reserve forests in the area with rest-houses and picnic spots. The famous painter Zainul Abedins Art Gallery at Mymensingh town is worth visiting.
Foy's Lake
Set amidst panoramic surroundings of small hills and islands in the suburbs of Chittagong, this ideal spot for outing and picnics attracts hundreds of visitors every day.
Moheshkhali
An island off the coast of Cox's Bazar, Moheskhali has an area of 268 sq. km. Through the center of the island and along the eastern coastline rises a range of low-hills, about 300 feet high, but the coast to the west and north is low-lying and fringed by mangrove forest. Atop Moinak Hill lies the old temple of Adinath, dedicated to Shiva. By its side on the same hill is a Buddhist pagoda.
Ramu
RamuBazar, on the main road to Chittagong. The village has a number of colourful pagodas and Khyangs and monasteries where one can see icons and statues of lord Buddha in gold, bronze and other metals inlaid with precious stones. One of these pagodas on the Bankhali river houses a 13 feet tall bronze statue of Buddha that rests on a six feet high pedestal. The pagoda also contains some interesting relics and rare Burmese handicraft. Weavers in Ramu ply their trade in open workshops and craftsmen make handmade cigars in their pagoda like houses.
Sonadia Island
Sonadia Island lies in the bay about seven km. off Cox's Bazar and is only 9 sq. km. in area. 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, fishermen set up temporary camps on the island and dry their catches of sea-fish.
Sonadia Island
Sonadia Island lies in the bay about seven km. off Cox's Bazar and is only 9 sq. km. in area. 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, fishermen set up temporary camps on the island and dry their catches of sea-fish.
Tourism“ We welcome guests, but don't want Bandarban to become crowded or polluted like Rangamati. We don't want to lose our culture nor see it consigned to a museum.
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