Beauty of Kishoreganj Haors

Travelling to new destinations always fills my heart with joy. Whenever I get time, I like to make plans for visiting new spots in the country as Bangladesh has huge potential for tourism.

Some days ago, I, along with some of my friend, went on a tour. After putting our studies aside, we planned a tour to Mithamoin, Itna and Oshtogram in Kishoreganj district to enjoy the thrill of water travel.

In the monsoon, Kishoreganj turns beautiful owing to its haor area. Taking the advantage of the season, we decided to explore the untouched beauty of the haors (wetlands).

The haors are spread over six upazilas of Kishoreganj. They are connected to the haors of Netrakona, Habiganj and Sunamganj districts. During the rainy season, you can easily move from one haor to another by boat, without interruption.

Taking some information from my cousin, we started our journey to Mithamoin from Chittagong by train in the morning. After a journey of about seven hours, we reached Kishoreganj railway station around 1:30pm. Firstly, we did not want to miss the chance of visiting the famous Sholakiya Eidgah, the largest Eid prayer ground in Bangladesh.

After having lunch at a local restaurant, we took a CNG auto-rickshaw to reach Chamraghat, from where we could start to explore the beauty of the haor. We reached there within half an hour. There were many boats waiting at the ghat (quay). So, we hired a boat for Mithamoin. A boat service also runs between Mithamoin and Chamraghat every hour.

Initially, our plan was to travel for two days. But unfortunately, we had to return the same day as the boatman was afraid to move around at night. As we departed from the ghat, it was a massive water world all around. Mithamoin is very scenic during the rainy season. Its beauty doubles with the greenery of the small villages, which look like islands in the midst of all the water.

There were a few fishing boats around, but slowly their numbers were diminishing. It was a monotonous view, but I was enjoying the gentle breeze that was touching my face after hitting the surface of the water.

Life in a haor is not that easy. It is always covered in water during the rainy season. It is a big problem for the residents there. They can only travel by boat from one place to another. They cannot do any cultivation during the monsoon period. They only depend on fishing as there is no other work. All the farming activities are done during the dry season, which comes only once a year in late autumn. During the dry season, their main means of transport is walking. No other option is available.

In the midst of such a water world, we felt the real warmth of the haors. We were amazed by the beautiful scenery of the villages that stand partially covered in water.

After reaching Mithamoin, we visited the home village of President Abdul Hamid. We stayed at Mithamoin for an hour or so and then returned to Chamraghat the same way. In the distant horizon, the sun and the water seemed to meet together. We reached the ghat around 8:30pm. Finally, we took the train back to Chittagong from Kishoreganj at 10:05pm and reached home the next day morning at 5am.

If I had not visited the haor, I might have never realised its natural beauty. We enjoyed the trip a lot. It was relaxing. Besides, we learned a lot about the people of the haor and their lifestyle.

It was one of the best journeys I have made to satisfy my thirst for enjoying nature.

Photos: Writer

Beauty of Kishoreganj Haors

Travelling to new destinations always fills my heart with joy. Whenever I get time, I like to make plans for visiting new spots in the country as Bangladesh has huge potential for tourism. Some days ago, I, along with some of my friend, went on a tour. After putting our studies aside, we planned a tour to Mithamoin, Itna and Oshtogram in Kishoreganj district to enjoy the thrill of water travel. In the monsoon, Kishoreganj turns beautiful owing to its haor area. Taking the advantage of the season, we decided to explore the untouched beauty of the haors (wetlands). The haors are spread over six upazilas of Kishoreganj. They are connected to the haors of Netrakona, Habiganj and Sunamganj districts. During the rainy season, you can easily move from one haor to another by boat, without interruption. Taking some information from my cousin, we started our journey to Mithamoin from Chittagong by train in the morning. After a journey of about seven hours, we reached Kishoreganj railway station around 1:30pm. Firstly, we did not want to miss the chance of visiting the famous Sholakiya Eidgah, the largest Eid prayer ground in Bangladesh. After having lunch at a local restaurant, we took a CNG auto-rickshaw to reach Chamraghat, from where we could start to explore the beauty of the haor. We reached there within half an hour. There were many boats waiting at the ghat (quay). So, we hired a boat for Mithamoin. A boat service also runs between Mithamoin and Chamraghat every hour. Initially, our plan was to travel for two days. But unfortunately, we had to return the same day as the boatman was afraid to move around at night. As we departed from the ghat, it was a massive water world all around. Mithamoin is very scenic during the rainy season. Its beauty doubles with the greenery of the small villages, which look like islands in the midst of all the water. There were a few fishing boats around, but slowly their numbers were diminishing. It was a monotonous view, but I was enjoying the gentle breeze that was touching my face after hitting the surface of the water. Life in a haor is not that easy. It is always covered in water during the rainy season. It is a big problem for the residents there. They can only travel by boat from one place to another. They cannot do any cultivation during the monsoon period. They only depend on fishing as there is no other work. All the farming activities are done during the dry season, which comes only once a year in late autumn. During the dry season, their main means of transport is walking. No other option is available. In the midst of such a water world, we felt the real warmth of the haors. We were amazed by the beautiful scenery of the villages that stand partially covered in water. After reaching Mithamoin, we visited the home village of President Abdul Hamid. We stayed at Mithamoin for an hour or so and then returned to Chamraghat the same way. In the distant horizon, the sun and the water seemed to meet together. We reached the ghat around 8:30pm. Finally, we took the train back to Chittagong from Kishoreganj at 10:05pm and reached home the next day morning at 5am. If I had not visited the haor, I might have never realised its natural beauty. We enjoyed the trip a lot. It was relaxing. Besides, we learned a lot about the people of the haor and their lifestyle. It was one of the best journeys I have made to satisfy my thirst for enjoying nature. Photos: Writer