Small boats on a river in Bangladesh

Water is the blessing and curse of Bangladesh. For nearly half the year,the monsoon rains cause the country’s three major rivers, the Ganges,Brahmaputra and Meghna, and their tributaries to swell. Devastating floods are often the consequence. During the rest of the year, the dry season brings almost no rainfall, and droughts threaten the livelihoods of people and the health of the natural environment.The Kaptai Dam, inaugurated in the early 1960s, was the first large dam built in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) and is still the only large hydropower project in the country. More than 22,000 hectares of arable land and 18,000 houses were flooded to make room for its reservoir. No resettlement was provided for the 100,000 indigenous people from the Chakma and Hajong tribes who lost their lands and homes. Most of them migrated to India, in what they termed Bara Parang( "exodus" in the local Chakma language).

In the 1990s, groups in Bangladesh started to draw attention to the large scale displacement of the indigenous communities who were not consulted prior to the construction of the dam and were not compensated for their losses afterward. Local communities and civil society groups now fight for compensation for the displaced, as well as against plans to extend the Kaptai Dam and its reservoir, which would lead to the loss of even more biodiversity-rich land.

The government of Bangladesh intends to increase hydropower capacity both in the country and abroad. Large dams in neighboring Burma could in the future provide a new source of hydroelectricity for Bangladesh.

Most Attraction of Bangladesh, The Sundarbans National Park

The Sundarbans National Park (Bengali: সুন্দরবন জাতীয় উদ্যান Shundorbôn Jatio Uddan)
is a National Park, Tiger Reserve, UNESCO World Heritage Site and a
Biosphere Reserve located in the Sundarbans delta in the Indian state
of West Bengal. This region is densely covered by mangrove forests, and
is one of the largest reserves for the Bengal tiger. It is also home to a
variety of bird, reptile and invertebrate species, including the salt-water
crocodile.In 1911, it was described as a tract of waste country which
had never been surveyed, nor had the census been extended to it. It then
stretched for about 165 miles (266 km) from the mouth of the Hugli to the
mouth of the Meghna, and was bordered inland by the three settled
districts of the Twenty-four Parganas, Khulna and Backergunje. The total
area (including water) was estimated at 6,526 square miles (16,902 km2).
The present Sundarbans National Park was declared as the core area of
Sundarbans Tiger Reserve in 1973 and a wildlife sanctuary in 1977.
On May 4, 1984 it was declared a National Park. It was inscribed on the
UNESCO World Heritage list in 1987.[1] Whole Sundarbans area was declared
as Biosphere Reserve in 1989.

Today I visited "Banglar Taj Mahal

Today I visited most important place in Bangladesh"Banglar Taj Mahal" located at Sonargaon, Narayanganj. It's a replica of Taj Mahal built by Emperor Shajahan several centuries ago.
It's not yet finished although it has already been opened for the visitors. Here are few photos:

WELCOME TO FLOWERS IN BANGLADESH

PATENGA Attraction of the port city of Chittagong, Bangladesh

Patenga (Bangla: পতেঙ্গা) is a sea beach located 14 kilometres south of the port city of Chittagong, Bangladesh. It is near the mouth of the Karnaphuli River. Sunset at Patenga Beach Patenga is a popular tourist spot. The beach is very close to Bangladesh Naval Academy of Bangladesh Navy, and Shah Amanat International Airport. The beach width is narrow and swimming in the seas is not recommended. Part of the seashore is built-up with concrete walls. Also large blocks of stones have been laid out to prevent erosion. During 1990s a host of restaurants and kiosks have sprouted out around the beach area. After the sun-down, drug-peddlers start to approach visitors. Also, alcohol peddling is very common. Lighting of the beach area has enhanced the security aspect of visiting in the evening.

The Shaheed Minar (Bengali: শহীদ মিনার Shohid Minar) is a national monument in Dhaka, Bangladesh

The Shaheed Minar (Bengali: শহীদ মিনার Shohid Minar) is a national monument in Dhaka, Bangladesh, established to commemorate those killed during the Language Movement demonstrations of 1952.

On February 21, 1952, dozens of students and political activists were killed when the Pakistani police force opened fire on Bengali protesters who were demanding equal status to their native tongue, Bangla. The massacre occurred near Dhaka Medical College and Ramna Park in Dhaka. A makeshift monument was erected on February 23[1] by students of University of Dhaka and other educational institutions, but soon demolished on February 26[2] by the Pakistani police force.

The Language Movement gained momentum and after a long struggle, Bangla was given equal status as Urdu. To commemorate the dead, the Shaheed Minar was designed and built by Hamidur Rahman, a Bangladeshi sculptor. The monument stood until the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, when it was demolished completely during Operation Searchlight, during which the Pakistani Army estimates they inflicted 26,000 civilian deaths, while other organizations such as National Geographic estimate casualties numbering over 3 million.[citation needed] After Bangladesh gained independence, it was rebuilt.

Today, the Shaheed Minar is the centre of cultural activities in Dhaka. Every year, the Language Movement is remembered at the monument.

PADMA, Big River in Bangladesh

The Padma (Bengali: পদ্মা Pôdda) is a major trans-boundary river in Bangladesh. It is the main distributary of the

Ganges (Bengali: গঙ্গা Gôngga), which originates in the Himalaya. The Padma enters Bangladesh from India near Chapai Nababganj. It meets the Jamuna (Bengali: যমুনা Jomuna) near Aricha and retains its name, but finally meets with the Meghna (Bengali: মেঘনা) near Chandpur and adopts the name 'Meghna' before flowing into the Bay of Bengal.

Rajshahi, a major city in western Bangladesh, is situated on the north bank of the Padma. It's maximum depth is 1,571 feet (479 m) and average depth is 968 feet (295 m).

Originated in the Gangotri Glacier of the Himalaya, the Ganges runs to the Bay of Bengal through India, entering Bangladesh at Shibganj in the district of Chapai Nababganj. Just west of Shibganj, the distributary Bhagirathi emerges and flows southwards as the Hooghly. After the point where the Bhagirathi branches off, the Ganges is officially referred to as the Padma and the river Bhagirathi uses the name of Ganga. Later the Britishers started calling Bhagirathi as Hoogly river.Further downstream, in Goalando, 2200 km away from the source, the Padma is joined by the mighty Jamuna (Lower Brahmaputra) and the resulting combination flows with the name Padma further east, to Chandpur. Here, the widest river in Bangladesh, the Meghna, joins the Padma, continuing as the Meghna almost in a straight line to the south, ending in the Bay of Bengal.

DHAKA UNIVERSITY

The University of Dhaka is the oldest and the largest university in Bangladesh with more than 32,000 students and 1,600 teachers.The University of Dhaka demonstrated an inherent strength in its activities during its eventful and often critical existence since it was established in 1921. Today, the university provides about 70% of the trained human resources of Bangladesh engaged in education, science and technology, administration, diplomacy, mass communication, politics, trade and commerce, and industrial enterprises in all sectors.

University of Dhaka is the one of the leading research institutes in Bangladesh as, according to WoS (Web of Science), research in Bangladesh is dominated by two institutes. the University of Dhaka and the International Center for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh publishing 18% and 17% of all Bangladesh's publications, respectively.

Stone Collection from the River, Jaflong - Sylhet

Jaflong is one of

the most attractive tourist spots in Sylhet division. It's about 60 km far from Sylhet town and takes two hours drive to reach there. Jaflong is also a scenic spot nearby amidst tea gardens and rate beauty of

rolling stones from hills. It is situated besides the river Mari in the lap of Hill Khashia.

Jaflong is one of the most attractive tourist spots in Sylhet division. It's about 60 km far from Sylhet town and takes two hours drive to reach there. Jaflong is also a scenic spot nearby amidst tea gardens and rate beauty of rolling stones from hills. It is situated besides the river Mari in the lap of Hill Khashia.

Lots of wild animal lives in this forest, so you need to be careful to enter in the forest alone. You can see the lifestyle of Tribe Khashia in Jaflong. If you intend to visit Jaflong it is advisable to start from Sylhet in the early morning so that you can comeback by evening covering the other tourists spots of nearby areas of Jaflong. The other tourist areas nearby Jaflong are Tamabil, Sripur and Jaintapur.

Attractive Sunset at Cox's Bazaar Sea Beach, Bangladesh

Bangladesh has the longest natural sea beach in the world. I have tried to catch some glimpses of this beautiful beach. Though I know, that it was way beyond my photographic ability to portray such a beauty.

Sungu the Most Attractive River in Bangladesh

Sangu River has its source at 21�13�N and 92�37�E in the North Arakan Hills, which form the boundary between Arakan and the chittagong hill tracts. It follows a northerly circuitous course in the Hill Tracts up to bandarban. It enters the district from the east and flows west across the district and finally falls into the bay of bengal at the end of a course of 270 km (173 km within Bangladesh territory) at 22�6�N and 91�51�E about 16.09 km south of the mouth of the karnafuli.

The principal tributary of the Sangu is the Dolukhal, which drains the Satkania plain. The Chand Khali flowing through the Patiya plains also joins it on its right-bank. Further down, it is joined by the Kumira Khali and ultimately falls into the Kutubdia Channel. The Sangu is, therefore, a very important river in so far as it drains off the waters of three important upazilas - patiya, satkania and banshkhali. It has also a connection with the Karnafuli through the Chand Khali. The Sangu is a shallow river but it becomes violent during rains with rapid currents. It is navigable up to 48.27 km from the estuary. The Sangu gas field is located about 50km southwest of Chittagong and stands at a depth of 10 meters the Bay of Bengal.

People Trying For Collecting Honey, Sundarban Forest, Bangladesh, 2010

Many Many Peoples, Those are Poor

In Bangladesh's Sundarban Forest, a beekeeper fans smoke into a hive of giant honeybees to calm the swarming insects before collecting their honey. Found in forested areas of the Indian subcontinent, Indonesia, and central China, Apis dorsata, the giant honeybee, grows to nearly an inch (2.5 centimeters) long and builds hives as large as nine feet (three meters) in diameter.

(Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, "Mangroves: Forests of the Tide," February 2007, National Geographic magazine)