Lauyachhara: Infinite wonder of nature

A monkey is climbing from one tree to another with her little baby taking  in her arms. Sometimes coming down to the ground, walking with visitors. As if he would show the way in this green forest. Lawachara National Park. Located in Kamalganj upazila of Moulvibazar district, one of the evergreen forests of Bangladesh. Monkeys were found at the entrance of this forest.

fig: Collected

The old name of Lawachara Udyan was West Bhanugach Protected Forest. Its history is quite old. In 1925, the then British government first started afforestation in the area. It is believed that the growth of these plants is the creation of Lawachara forest. The Moulvibazar range of Srimangal and Kamalganj upazilas covered an area of ​​about 2,740 hectares of western Bhanugacha  reserved forest. In order to protect the existence and biodiversity of the forest, about 1,250 hectares of the forest was declared a National Park by the Government of Bangladesh on July 7, 1997 under the Wildlife (Conservation, Amendment) Act, 1974. At present this forest is under the Department of Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation in Sylhet.  

In the vastness of green

The best time to visit Lauachhara is usually from October to March. But last year (2019) we went at the end of July as part of the field tour of the university. I reached this national park in the morning after an overnight bus journey. The main gate made of two giant tree pieces will make you curious to know about this forest before entering the forest. It is good to know that to enter the forest, you have to pay a nominal entrance fee depending on your age. We entered after paying it. In this forest, just as there are flat paths, there are also hilly paths. However, at the beginning of the flat path was seen.Roads are made of pitch, between the rows of tall trees on both sides.

This is the way to see the monkey. This monkey was with us for a long time on the way. There are four of the five species of monkeys in Bangladesh in Lawachara. In Lawachara, several hill streams have flowed through the forest. Most of these streams are full of water during the rainy season. However, due to the location, the forest receives less rainfall througha, and it rained from time to time. So there was some water in the streams. In the streams where the amount of water is high, culverts have been constructed on them to make way for movement.

Also in the movies

The railway line can be seen as soon as you walk a short distance beyond the main gate of Lawachara . Trains run on the Dhaka-Sylhet route through this railway line. Eyes went to a signboard near this railway. It is learned that this is the place where the Hollywood movie 'Around the World in Eighty Days' was shot 65 years ago. The film was released  year later in 1956,directed by Michael Anderson, the film also won an Oscar the following year. Although the elephant was shown in this place in that film, it is rare to see the elephant in Lawachara after so many years. Bangladeshi films have also been shot in Lawachara. Humayun Ahmed was the director of the film 'Amar Ache Jol' in 2006. A related signboard will also be seen next to the railway line.

At the bend of the mountain path

Crossing the railway line we proceed further deeper into the forest. Seeing the beauty of the forest, surrounded by thousands of unnamed plants, the vastness of the green of this forest will fascinate anyone who loves nature. Researchers say that there are about 16 species of plants in this forest. There are also famous beautiful trees in the Sundarbans.Besides, you can see Gorjon,Shegun,Gamar,Jamrul,Chapalish,Menjiam,Nageshwar,Shimul,Lohakath,Jaam,Dumur,Tun,Karhai,Jagdumur,Mulibaash etc trees on the way. Various types of forest flowers have enhanced the beauty of this forest. Some of these rare flowers belong to the known-unknown 'Birut Gulmo' or one of the orbital orchids. However, the number of trees in the forest has decreased significantly compared to the 90's.

This information has been acknowledged by the concerned officials in charge of the park. They say that they have to speed up the maintenance of the park due to insufficient staff as compared to the demand. As a result, the number of trees is decreasing day by day.   As we went deeper into the forest, we saw the birds chirping and the surrounding environment. About 246 species of birds including parrot, cuckoo, owl, finch and pigeon roam in the forest. This forest of Lawachara has become a sanctuary for wildlife. The forest is enriched in 45 species of mammals, 52 species of reptiles and 26 species of amphibians.There are many small and big hill in different parts of the forest. The footpath has been made by cutting that hill. There are three ways to walk around Lawachara Udyan. One is three hours', one is one hour's and the other is half an hour's. There is also a Khasia village inside the park, which can be reached within a two-hour walk. The residents here usually cultivate betel. Due to lack of time we did not see the village. There is a guest house in this forest, on the way you will hear the tireless sound of crickets. I was in Lawachara for a couple of hours that day as there was a tour schedule in some other places.  

Put a role in the prosperity of the forest   There is no way to understand by looking at Lawachara National Park, it is a man-made forest. This forest has gradually become a unique example of natural forest beyond its biodiversity. It is our responsibility to support this forest in its path of prosperity. So be sensible, while traveling to Lawachara, be careful,so that  the environment of this forest and its natural growth don't be   hampered because of you. There are dustbins in different parts of the forest, throw all kinds of garbages there. Try to be as quiet as possible on the way. Do not light fires in forest areas. Don't bother monkeys or other animals when they come in front, let them be like them. Some of our little awareness works will only keep this forest alive for many more years.

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Written By, Fabiha Bushra 

 (Information Collected)