Moulvibazar’s Hakaluki Haor and Baikka Beel are hosting an abundance of migratory birds that are flocking to the area seeking warmth and food during the colder months. Animals, too, graze the green picturesque land surrounding the area.The striking scenery is turning the area into a popular tourist destination.
Hakaluki Haor and Baikka Beel present tourists with two completely different kinds of scenic beauty through the year. In the rainy season, the water bodies are full to the brim.The green trees and shrubs surrounding the area present a stunning landscape to the visitors.In the wintertime, hundreds of different species of birds flock near the water bodies.Some of these birds are incredibly rare and always beautiful to look at. The water bodies have an abundance of fish which attract the creatures to this area.
Baikka Beel
Baikka Beel is a 425.15sqkm wetland that is home to numerous species of fish, birds and plants.
The beel (natural depression)hosts around 80 different species of fish and hundreds of species of birds. The entire water body is a massive 100 hectares, hence it is able to house such a variety of creatures.
In 2003, the Bangladesh Ministry of Land declared its intention to develop the area as a sanctuary. An abundance of birds have been flocking to the area for a long time; since conservation efforts have started, it has seen an increase in bird migration during the winter.
The main attraction of Baikka Beel is the birds. Different kinds of storks, eagles, ducks and colourful birds flock to the wetlands in winter. The birds come for the fish that are plentiful in the water. The tourists sometimes buy fish as well, according to Baikka Beel watch tower employees Ahsan Habib and Raju Ahmed.
Migratory birds in Baikka Beel | Dhaka Tribune
They told the Dhaka Tribune that tourists mostly visit on weekends. Fridays and Saturdays usually see a great turnout, but in the last two months not as many people have been visiting due to the national elections.
Many people from the capital also visit Moulvibazar to spend the weekend with nature and enjoy the beautiful scenery of birds.
A member of the Baikka Beel management team Minnat Ali said: “We are continuously working towards the betterment of the beel. We want to preserve the nature surrounding the area and the animals that inhabit it.”
Hakaluki Haor
Hakaluki Haor is a 181.15sqkm wetland area comprised of parts of five northeastern upazilas in Moulvibazar and Sylhet districts. It encompasses a total of 238 beels, interlinked by 10 rivers and numerous canals.
During the colder months, many species of birds come to Hakaluki Haor in search of food.The sightof rare and beautiful birds flocking over and around the water body draws tourists to the spot.Locals said the Haor’s Pingla, Chatla, Choukia, Haor Khal, Malam, Goukuri, Nagua, Turol, Kalapani, Foala, Balijuri, Kangli and Footbill areas are populated with a variety of migratory birds.
The government declared Hakaluki Haor as an Ecologically Critical Area in 1999. It is also a protected Ramsar site of international importance for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands.
