NAFA-KHUM FALL'S

Nafa-khum is a waterfall in Bangladesh on the Sangu River. It is among the largest waterfalls in the country by volume of water falling.The wild hilly river Sangu suddenly falls down here about 25-30 feet.

The falls are located in a remote area three hours' walking distance from Remakri, Thanchi Upazila, Bandarban District. Remakri is located three hours by boat on the Sangu River from Tindu, which is itself three hours by boat from Thanchi. Nafa-khum is not very popular as a tourist destination.

Travelers should reach to Bandarban first, if they are interested to have a tour to this Nafakhum waterfall. There are many bus services to travel to Bandarban from Dhaka City. 

The word "Khum" in Marma language means "Waterfall". A special type of flying fish, whose local name is nating, is found at the bottom in a small cave as they swim against the stream but cannot jump over the hight of fall.

SOMPURA MAHABIHARA,PAHARPUR

Somapura Mahavihara in Paharpur, Badalgachhi Upazila, Naogaon District, Bangladesh (25°1'51.83"N, 88°58'37.15"E) is among the best known Buddhist viharas in the Indian Subcontinent and is one of the most important archeological sites in the country. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.

A number of monasteries grew up during the Pāla period in ancient Bengal and Magadha. According to Tibetan sources, five great Mahaviharas stood out: Vikramashila, the premier university of the era; Nalanda, past its prime but still illustrious, Somapura Mahavihara, Odantapurā, and Jaggadala. The five monasteries formed a network; "all of them were under state supervision" and there existed "a system of co-ordination among them . . it seems from the evidence that the different seats of Buddhist learning that functioned in eastern India under the Pāla were regarded together as forming a network, an interlinked group of institutions," and it was common for great scholars to move easily from position to position among them.

Sompur Bihar at Paharpur is about 270 km by road from Dhaka and it will take about 6 hours to reach Paharpur by bus/taxi/private car if no major stops are made along the way. If one starts from Dhaka, the route shall be Dhaka - Savar - Chandra - Tangail - Jamuna Bridge - Hatikamrul - Bogra - Joypurhat - Paharpur. The best way to tour the site is to first reach Bogra and visit Mahasthangarh and stay at Parjatan Hotel overnight and then hire a taxi to go to Paharpur via Joypurhat on the next day. Sompur Bihar is about 68 km from Bogra via Joypurhat and it will take about two hours to reach the site by taxi.

MAHASTHANGARH

Mahasthangarh is the earliest urban archaeological site so far discovered in Bangladesh. The village Mahasthan in Shibganj thana of Bogra District contains the remains of an ancient city which was called Pundranagara or Paundravardhanapura in the territory of Pundravardhana.A limestone slab bearing six lines in Prakrit in Brahmi script, discovered in 1931, dates Mahasthangarh to at least the 3rd century BC.The fortified area was in use till the 18th century AD.

Together with the ancient and mediaeval ruins, the mazhar (holy tomb) of Shah Sultan Balkhi Mahisawar built at site of a Hindu temple is located at Mahasthangarh. He was a dervish(holy person devoted to Islam) of royal lineage who came to the Mahasthangarh area, with the objective of spreading Islam among non-Muslims. He converted the people of the area to Islam and settled there.

Mahasthangarh, the ancient capital of Pundravardhana is located 11 km (6.8 mi) north of Bogra on the Bogra-Rangpur highway, with a feeder road (running along the eastern side of the ramparts of the citadel for 1.5 km) leading to Jahajghata and site museum.Buses are available for Bogra from Dhaka and take 4½ hours for the journey via Bangabandhu Jamuna Bridge across the Jamuna River. Buses are available from Bogra to Mahasthangarh. Rickshaws are available for local movement. Hired transport is available at Dhaka/ Bogra. Accommodation is available at Bogra.When travelling in a hired car, one can return to Dhaka the same day, unless somebody has a plan to visit Somapura Mahavihara at Paharpur in the district of Naogaon and other places, or engage in a detailed study.

It is believed that the location for the city in the area was decided upon because it is one of the highest areas in Bangladesh. The land in the region is almost 36 m above sea level, whereas Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, is around 6 m above sea level. Another reason for choosing this place was the position and size of the Karatoya, which seemed to be as wide as the sea.

Mahasthangarh stands on the red soil of the Barind Tract which is slightly elevated within the largely alluvium area. The elevation of 15 to 25 metres above the surrounding areas makes it a relatively flood free physiographic unit.

 Several personalities contributed to the discovery and identification of the ruins at Mahasthangarh. F. Buchanan Hamilton was the first to locate and visit Mahasthangarh in 1808, C.J.O’Donnell, E.V.Westmacott, and Baveridge followed. Alexander Cunningham was the first to identify the place as the capital of Pundravardhana. He visited the site in 1889.

JATIYO SMRITI SOUDHO

Plans for the monument were initiated right after the independence, in 1972. Following the site selection, road and land development, a nation-wide design competition was held in June, 1978. Following evaluation of the 57 submissions, Syed Mainul Hossain's design was chosen. The main structure and the artificial lake and other facilities were completed in 1982.

The monument is composed of 7 isosceles triangular pyramid shaped structures, with the middle one being the tallest. The highest point of the monument is 150 feet.The whole complex is spread over an area of 34 hectares (84 acres) which is again wrapped around by a green belt of 10 hectares (24.7 acre).

There is an artificial lake, and several mass graves in front of the main monument. National Martyrs' Memorial is located in Savar, about 35 km north-west of Dhaka, symbolizes the valour and sacrifice of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the liberation of Bangladesh.

SUNDARBAN

A shroud of mystery and danger looms over the Sundarban, the largest mangrove swamp in the world. This gloomy forest of baffling waterways stretches some 80km into the hinterland from the coast and its name translates into the ‘beautiful forest’, a misnomer if ever there were one. For most people, the Sundarbans is a horrifying matrix where, on average, a person is eaten every third day. To venture into this forest is to return to a primeval world of big trees and big creatures. It is one of the wildest and least known environments in all of southern Asia.

The Sundarbans begins about 5km southwest of Mongla along the Posur River, and covers an area (split between Bangladesh and India, with the tiger’s share in Bangladesh), of about 10, 000 sq km, which is around half of what it was just 200 years ago. About one-third of the total area of this forest is covered in water – river channels, canals and tidal creeks varying in width from a few metres to a few kilometres. The land is constantly being reshaped by tidal action, and cyclones also wreak their havoc.

The ecological balance of these impenetrable forests is extremely delicate and influenced greatly by tidal shifts that affect the salinity, and hence the growth rates, of the surrounding vegetation. The eclectic inhabitants of the Sundarbans range from deer, pigs and crabs to the mighty Royal Bengal tiger. The Divisional Forestry Office supervises activities to protect the delicate ecological balance and botanists, zoologists, environmentalists and conservationists around the world keep eager eyes on this ecological repository.
The dry season, November to April, is the most popular season for visiting the Sundarbans.