Tanguar Haor

Tanguar Haor is located in the Dharmapasha and Tahirpur upazilas of Sunamganj District in Bangladesh. It is a unique wetland ecosystem of national importance and has come into international focus. The area of Tanguar Haor features 46 villages and it is also a source of livelihood for more than 40,000 people. The Government of Bangladesh declared Tanguar Haor as an Ecologically Critical Area in 1999 considering its critical condition as a result of overexploitation of its natural resources. In 2000, the hoar basin was declared a Ramsar site – wetland of international importance. With this declaration, the Government is committed to preserve its natural resources and has taken several steps for protection of this wetland.

Tanguar Haor plays a vital function in fish manufacturing as it functions as a ‘mother fishery’ for the country. Every winter the Hoar is home to about 200 types of migratory birds. The haor is an important source of fish. In 1999-2000, the government earned 7,073,184 takas as revenue just from fisheries of the haor. There are more than 140 species of fresh water fish in the haor. The more predominant among them are: ayir, gang magur, baim, tara, gutum, gulsha, tengra, titna, garia, beti, kakia etc. Hijal, karach, gulli, balua, ban tulsi, nalkhagra and other freshwater wetland trees are in this haor. Plant species like Hizol, Clematis cadmia, Crataeva nurvala, Euryale ferox, Nelumbo nucifera, Ottelia alismoides, Oxystelma secamone var. secamone, Pongamia pinnata, Rosa clinophylla, and Typha species are threatened, rapidly disappearing and becoming rare.

When haors are full of water, the only transport available is the launch (a type of motorised river boat). Country boats are slow and can become unsafe with overloading. There is a regular launch service (several launches are there at different times) between Mohanganj and Sunamganj Sadar Upazila offering majestic views of the Kangsa and Surma rivers in addition to the haors. It has a comfortable seating arrangement for the 12 hour journey (one way) but one has to carry food and water. Tea and biscuits are available on board. The steamer service is there when it is haor season, but in the dry season the service depends on how much water remains in the river. Travel costs are reasonable by South Asia standards and cheap by Western standards.

The best time to visit the haors is at the end of the monsoons, say around August-September, when they are full with water. Thereafter, the water in the haors starts receding but still provides an awe-inspiring sight. In winter, the haors and beels receive thousands of migratory birds. It is the ideal season for bird-watchers, but then the haors are reduced in size and lose much of their watery grandeur. As summer sets in the haors are no more there, but one can still see numerous beels.