Memory in Your Life ...

Bandarban Hill District is the most remote and least populated district in Bangladesh. The lure of the tallest peaks of Bangladesh, treks through virgin forests and chance to meet more than 15 tribes of the region up close is growing both among Bangladeshis and tourists from other countries. Since the insurgency ceased in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (a cluster that includes all three hill districts of Bangladesh) it has opened up for tourists more than a decade back, though some of the western tourist guides may still describe the area as a major security risk.

River Sangu

It is governed by a Hill Council under the Bangladesh government, headed by the King of Mong Circle. The current monarch, His Highness King Aung Shue Prue Chowdhury, is the 15th to sit on the throne. The front hall (Raj Durbar) of the Royal Palace is open to visitors, provided that appropriate behavior is maintained. Interestingly the 13th Royal Family claims the current Family to be usurpers to the throne.

Buddhist, Muslim, Christian, Hindu, and Chramma are major religions along with many pagan faiths.

The best place for information are the Press Club (phone: +880 (0) 361 62549), the Tribal Cultural Institute (phone: +880 (0) 361 62424), the office of Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation, the government owned tourism company and the office of Guide Tours, the largest privately owned tourism company, at Hill Side Resort.

Orientation

Bandarban, a 4,479 km² wide area with a population of 292,900 (2003 est.) inside Bangladesh is bordered by Cox's Bazaar, Chittagong, Rangamati and Khagrachari. On the other side of the 129 kilometer international border lies Myanmar provinces of Chin and Arakan.

Bandarban has only one town that approaches anything near a city - the Bandarban town. The rest of the area is divided into 7 upazilas, which are in turn divided into varying numbers of unions. Each union is a cluster of paras and villages.

• Bandarban Sadar: Bandarban Sadar, Rajvila, Kuhalong, Sualok, Tankabati
• Thanchi: Thanchi, Bolipara, Remakree, Tindu
• Lama: Lama, Aziznagar, Fashiakhali, Gozalia, Rupasipara, Soroi,
• Nikhongchhari: Nikhongchhari, Baishari, Dochari, Ghumdhum
• Alikadam: Alikadam, Choykhong
• Rowangchhari: Rowangchhari, Alekhong, Noapatang, Taracha
• Ruma: Ruma. Galengga, Pyndu, Remakree Pranksha

Landscape

Bandarban landscape

The three highest peak of Bangladesh - Tahjindong (1280 meters, also known as bijoy), Mowdok Mual (1052 meters), and Keokradong (883 meters) - are located in Bandarban district, as well as Raikhiang Lake, the highest lake in Bangladesh. Chimbuk peak and Boga Lake are two more highly noted features of the district. Though most Bangladesh sources cite Keokradong as the highest peak in the country, but Tazing Dong (sometimes spelled as Tahjingdong, and also known as Bijoy) lying further east is recognized both by government and expert sources as a taller peak. Measurements taken by English adventurer Ginge Fullen shows that an officially unnamed peak near the Myanmar border (locally known as Mowdok Mual) is the highest point in Bangladesh. Recently a team from Nature Adventure Club took part in an expedition in the Mowdok range and agreed with the Ginge fullens statement. They got the height of this peak as 3488 feet with gaps accuracy of 3 meter. The unnamed summit is known as 'Saka Haphong' to the local Tripura tribes.

The following is a list of mountain ranges in the area and the tallest peaks of each range:

• Muranja (also known as Meranja) range (Basitaung, 664m)
• Wayla range (most of this range is in Myanmar)
• Chimbook range (Tindu, 898m)
• Batimain range (Batitaung, 526m)
• Politai range (Keokradang, 884m; Ramiu Taung 921m)
• Saichal-Mowdok range (Bilaisari, 669m; Mowdok Mual 1,003m)
• Saichal range (Waibung 808m; Rang Tlang, 958m; Mowdok Tlang, 905m)
• Wailatong and Tambang ranges

The River Sangu (also known as Sangpo or Shankha), the only river born inside Bangladesh territory, runs through Bandarban. The other rivers in the district are Matamuhuri and Bakkhali. Parts of Kaptai Lake, the biggest lake in, Bangladesh fall under the area.

History

In the early days of 15th century, Arakanese kingdom 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 descendants, 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 (Purbopurush) of the present Bohmong dynasty were the successor of the Pegu King of Burma under the Abakan’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 velour. 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.

During the British Raj, it was declared as the Bohmong circle with limited autonomy. The Mizokaba or the Mizo uprise in the mid 19th century was major catalyst for re-settlement of the tribes in the area. 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 leaders of the tribes people decided unsuccessfully to become a part of Myanmar, then known as Burma. During the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971 to gain independence from Pakistan, the leaders again sought unsuccessfully to remain a part of Pakistan.

In the late 1970s, a policy of forced settlement of Bengalis into hills was pursued, which later gave rise to much violence against the hill people and the insurgency led by Shanti Bahini, the military wing of Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti. There has been an attempt to create divide among tribal cultural lines between the Chakmas, who led Shantibahini, and the Mrus, by creating an anti-Shantibahini 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.

People

There are more than fifteen ethnic(nayesashtra) minorities living in the district besides the Bengalis, including: the Marma, the Arakanese descendants(Bangsodhor) and Arakanese (Rakhine), who are also known as Magh, Mru (also known as Mru or Murong), Bawm, Khyang, Tripuri (also known as Tipra or Tipperah), Mizo (also known as Lushei), Khumi, Chak, Kuki, Chakma and Tenchungya, who are closely related, Reang (also known as Riyang), Uchoi (also known as Usui) and Pankho.

The Mru, also known as Murong, who are famous for their music and dance. The Mru in major numbers have converted to Khrama (or Crama), the youngest religion in Bangladesh that prohibits much of their old ways. They are assumed to be 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. The Marma are Arakanese descendants of Myanmar by origin and Buddhists by religion, and are the second largest tribe in the hill districts of Bangladesh. The Khumi live in the remotest parts of the district, and the group is thought to include yet unexplored/ unclassified tribes.

These ethnic groups are again divided in hundreds of clans and sects, principally dominated by four religious threads - Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and a number of pagan faiths. All these clans and groups are clustered into two major ethnic families, namely the hill people and the valley people. Since the Kaptai dam flooded the valley creating 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 jaanta came to power in Yangon in 1992, now has become two major ethnic groups outside minorities. But, there are a number of Bengali families who claim to have settled earlier than some of the tribes. in their live many Barua also.

Festivals

Raj Punnyah: It is ceremonial rite of paying tribute and taxes (khazna) to the king of Bohmang circle, happening in mid February since 1885. The three day festival at the royal palace features the king meeting his subjects in full regalia, accompanied by a ceremonial guard, and receiving tributes.

• Sangrai: The biggest festival of the Marma tribesmen, akin to Boisabi of the Tripuris and Biju of the Chakmas. In mid-April, this celebration of the New Year falls around the same time as Bengali Naba Barsha and Assamese Bihu. Apart from the songs and dances Sangrai is marked by the water festival and magic charm competitions. Water festival is a game of splashing water from two sides of a marked arena by unmarried boys and girls on each other. It is said that splashing water is a way of declaring a love interest. Non-Marma people can't usually take part in the game.

Bangla (official); Marma, Bawm and Mru (local)

Get in

NOTE: The provision for foreigners: From Dated January 7,2015 The home ministry has decided to reinforce the provision of “no free passes” for foreigners visiting the three Chittagong Hill Tracts districts – Rangamati, Khagrachhari and Bandarban. According to above ministry order, the provision for foreigners is need to submit an application to the home ministry a month ahead for their scheduled visit. All non-Bangladeshis are required to register with the local police in Bandarban.

By bus

There are three ways to get to Bandarban. The easiest is a direct bus ride from Dhaka which takes 6 hours. The few services available are Dolphin at Kalabagan, Unique service, Shyamoli Paribahan at Gabtali, Asad gate, Fakirerpul, Kamlapur, Saydabad and S Alam at Kamalapur. On the high tourist season it is advisable to buy tickets in advance.

To Chittagong goes bus in every half hour Tk. 110. To Dhaka goes direct bus at 9:15am and 9:15pm Tk. 620

There are a few services available that offer a bus ride from Chittagong which takes 2 hours (the most available is Purbani at Bahaddarhaat). To reach Chittagong from Dhaka there are three options - taking a flight (Bangladesh Biman, United Airways, Regent Air, or Novo Air), a bus ride (Sohag is undoubtedly the best service, available at Kalabagan and Mahakhali) or a train ride from Kamalapur (Turna Nishitha, Mahanagar Godhuli and Subarna).

From Cox's Bazar, it is a 3-hour bus ride (the most available is Purbani at Laaldighi). To reach Cox's Bazaar from Dhaka it is possible take either a 10-hour bus ride (Sohag is the best) or a flight (Bangladesh Biman or GMG airlines). From Chittagong it is 4-hour bus ride (apart from Dolphin, Purbani is the most available).

Purbani Bus Service, Phone:01820412800 (Chittagong), 0361-62508 (Bandarban)

It is possible to get to Bandarban directly from Rangamati by way of Chandraghona, but the perilous route is not advisable at all.

By car

Car rented from Chittagong, readily available from Bangladesh Enterprise (phone: +880 (0) 31 670512) at Chandgao, Al-Amin Enterprise (phone: +880 (0) 31 720600) or Alam Enterprise (phone: +880 (0) 31 714566) at Hazi Para in Agrabad, Bismilla Fashion (phone: +880 (0) 31 612749) at Reazuddin Bazar or Samara Fashions (phone: +880 (0) 31 615925) at Azimir Super Market at Monim Road, would take anyone to Bandarban. Though it is possible to rent a car at Dhaka to go all the way to Bandarban, it is not advisable in any way. Plain land drivers are generally lousy in the hills and they don't know the locality at all. It would be prudent to hire a driver who comes from Bandarban.

Get around

Inside the town, which can be easily covered on feet, the most available mode of transport in the rickshaw? For places out of town there are three-wheeler taxis near the Traffic Mor (circle or intersection), four-wheel drive vehicles for hire near Hotel Green Hill, and a rent-a-car station near Hotel Hill Bird. There also are the regular public transit system of ancient four-wheel-drive vehicles, known locally as Chander Gari (meaning the Moon Car) available Ruma and Rowangchhari Bus Stations, as well as near the Sonali Bank. Major road routes are Chimbuk-Ruma, Bandarban-Rowangchhari-Ruma, Aziznagar-Gojalia-Lama, Khanhat-Dhopachhari-Bandarban, Bandarban-Chimbuk-Thanchi-Alikadam-Baishari-Dhundhum, and Chimbuk-Tangkabati-Baro Aoulia. It is also possible to travel by native boats by the river Sangu, from either the Bazaar Ghat or the Kyaw Ching Ghat.

Buddha Dhatu Jadi

• Buddha Dhatu Jadi. The largest Buddhist temple in Bangladesh, located in Balaghata, 4 km from the town, is one excellent place to visit locally known as 'Swarna Mandir'. This Theravada Buddhist temple. set atop a 60 meter hill, is made completely in the style of South-East Asia and houses a sacred relic and the second largest statue of Buddha in Bangladesh.
• Shoilo Propat, Meghla and Nilachal. The waterfall named Shoilo Propat at Milanchari, 4 km from the town on the road to Thanchi, is also excellent site maintained by Bangladesh Parjatan, the national tourism promotion corporation. The Parjatan Motel is not a small thing at all. It has a huge three-storey building on a high place. The room rent here a little high compared to other places The site maintained by the District Administration is Meghla, 4 km from the town on the road to Keranihat, which features a mini-safari-park, a zoo, and a hanging bridge. The District Administration has also developed the Nilachal tourist site near Meghla, in Tigerpara
• Raj Vihar and Ujanipara Vihar.The numerous Buddhist temples, known as kyang in local toungue, and vihars in the town include the highly notable the Rajvihar (royal Monastery) at Jadipara. The monastery at Ujanipara, known as Ujanipara Vihar, is also a major place of interest.
• Chimbuk Hill and Tribal Villages. Chimbuk is one of the tallest peaks in Bangladesh and lies some 14 km from the town. Bawm villages around Chimbuk and Mru villages a little further off are also lie within a day's journey from the town.

• Nil Giri and Thanchi. Nilgiri is one of the tallest peaks and beautiful place in Bangladesh and lies some 46 km from the town. There is beautiful resort in the top of the mountain maintain by the Bangladesh Army. Booking to be done through army officer. There are three well furnished cottages ranging from Tk.4000-7000. There are also three tents having 4 beds each@2000 per tent. Foreign tourist will be restricted there. there is restaurant, helipad,
• Other Places. Prantik Lake, Jibannagar and Kyachlong Lake are some more places of interest.

• Boga Lake (12000 ft), ☎ 12222. A beautiful lake surrounded by high hills and a small village just beside the lake. Boga Lake is the most beautiful natural lake in Bangladesh. It is also known as Bagakain Lake or Baga Lake. Boga lake is 18 kilometer away from Ruma Sadar Upozilla in Bandarban. The area of this lake is about 15 acres. It is about 3000 feet above sea level. The color of water of this lake is blue and very nice. There are many mythological stories behind the creation of this lake. There are many tourists make their way to Boga Lake every year, specially in the winter season. Small tribe community like Bawm, Khumi have localities besides the Boga Lake. In the rainy season, it is quite difficult to stroll beside the Boga Lake. The road from Ruma to Boga Lake is still under construction. There waiting lots of pleasure and delight for you at Boga Lake. You will definitely be amazed looking at the big rocks lying in and out of the Boga Lake. You can have a camp fire beside the lake that will be unbelievable and mind-blowing memory in your life.

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