Discover Rangamati: The Jewel of the Hill Tracts

 

Four years ago

I visit Rangamati Bangladesh in the travel-restricted Chittagong Hill Tracts- the country’s highlands and home of the Jumma people.

I'm on my way from Chittagong, Bangladesh largest port city, to the town of Rangamati located up in the Chittagong Hill Tracts on the borderwith India and Myanmar.

Entering the Chittagong Hill Tracts 

The Chittagong Hill Tracts region is most untypical for Bangladesh, with jungle-covered hills.

Clouds of dust enter through the windows which remain open for lack of air-conditioning, and plastic bags are handed out- too late for some as one passenger vomits. When the ticket collector arrives with an old sand-filled can of paint- on stand - by for this very occasion it seems - and empties it over the offending stomach contents, I realise this must be business as usual. I wonder if this is a sign of things to come.

It was in the 16th century that tribal people a region that now forms Rakhine state at Myanmar and settle in the Hill Tracts.

Rangamati and Kaptai lake

Like many of the towns and cities I've visited on my Bangladesh travel, Rangamati is busy, loud and not very clean- but also colorful, streets lined with dusty workshops and tiny stalls filled with men drinking tea and smoking. Wood working is clearly an important industry here.

I cut short my late morning walk through town and head towards what I came for- Bangladesh’s largest artificial lake called Kaptai. It's most popular highlight in the Shuvalong falls, located some 90 minutes by boat from Rangamati. I'm excited about as the journey to it.

Kaptai lake is simply stunning. It's home to tribal villages and wild nature. The long boat ride to the Shuvalong falls takes me past scenic views. Meanwhile, local river traffic passes us on all sides.

Yet, despite the immense beauty of the 11000 square-kilometre-lake, It's hard to forget the 100000 Adivasi-a collective name for the tribes from the Indian subcontinent-who lost some 40% of their cultivated land when it was submerged. Whereas Bangladesh’s' flatlands suffer from natural flooding, here it was done by man.

Buddhism in the Chittagong Hill Tracts

Today the Chittagong Hill Tracts are one of the few remaining areas in South Asia where Buddhism is largely practiced and I'm constantly reminded of that. On the way to the falls, Habib stops to let me visit the restored 1873 Gotammuni temple.

Returning to the boat I spot two Chakma ladies at a stall-one is smoking a bamboo pipe and the other shows me bright, handwoven fabrics for which the Adivasi are famous. Without hesitation I buy a scarf off her. The arrival of a boat filled with local, selfie-snapping visitors from Dhaka and elsewhere confirms this is a popular tourist attraction. 

We've been sailing for some two hours yet covered only a small part of Kaptai lake which seems never ending. From the multicoloured decorations at the nearby monastery it looks as if festivities have recently taken place. Adivasi people, their colourful tribal dress and the dramatically different landscape all make me feel as if I've wandered across the border into Myanmar.

Together they speak some 35 different languages. Nearly half of the Adivasi people are from the Chakma tribe, while other major tribes include the Tripuri and the Marma. A more common name for them is the Jumma people because of their crop rotation agriculture which is knowm locally as Jum, and it is the next day in the excellent tribal Cultural Museum that I would learn all about this. I blame the stunning scenery for making me forget about time but thanks to Anika- we call on the "Chang Pang Restaurant " on a small island. The humble establishment not only offers unparallel views but also the most delicious of Adivasi cuisine-my belated lunch of rui river fish, fried bamboo, dhal and rice is polished off in no time.

Rangamati tourism

Not many foreigners visit this part of Bangladesh according to Sumaiya most hail from neighbouring India, and it seems I'm currently the only westerner staying at the hotel, or maybe even in Rangamati proper. Which is a pity, not only because the area is stunning but also because the local tourism industry could definitely use support, "I'd like to start a little shop but I don’t have enough savings." Sumaiya tells me when I ask her about the future. With her minimal salary she supports her small daughter and her husband who live in another district. She visits them once a month.

Instead of the bridge, and having expressed my suggests I rent a CNG Auto -rickshaw which can bring me deeper into one of the larger Islands with beautiful views of the lake, While she searches for a CNG driver, I go and check out the local museum.

Cultural Museum 

This is not the first time in Bangladesh I've been pleasantly surprise by a humble Museum in an unlikely location. The Rangamati Tribal Culture Museum It's use of concrete, covered balconies and indirect sunlight. It contains surprising artefacts. Others include musical instruments, tribal dresses, coins and all kinds of ornaments. I'm the only visitor.

In the navy

An hour later, Kader, is driving me along small roads deeper into the country. The views are so magnificent that I have to ask him every so often to stop so I can take photographs. With Kaptai lake always somewhere in sight and rivers that cut deep into jungle, it feels like Bangladesh truly is a country of water, even in his islands.

Once again we're late for luch and Kader, who doesn’t speak any english, gestures he knows a place. Soon, I show my passport and special permit at a military checkpoint where phone calls are made before I'm late through.

On our return trip we pass a local food stall offering a million-dollar view onto the lake. It takes a lot of insisting to make Kader stop here for our late lunch. The final leg of our journey is covered speeding way too fast for a three-wheeler autorickshaw as my pleading with Kader to drive with a lighter foot falls on deaf ears.

It's only late at the hotel with the help of Yasin's English that I understand the Navy Officer had ordered Kader to bring me back into town without further delay. The area, isn’t safe after dusk.

The next day, leaving the Hill Tracts, my bus is stopped by the military to check my papers and I'm embarrassed about having to keep everyone waiting. It's a pity free movement is restricted since there's so much to explore if you love nature. The Chittagong Hill Tracts are generally safe for foreign travellers visiting the usual tourist spots- mainly of local tourist- still happen. Until political and other leaders make a serious effort to pursue true peace.

Accommodation in Rangamati

I stayed at the Sufia hotel which is centrally located near Kaptai lake and probably one of the best hotels in Rangamati. Rooms are basic but have air-conditioning and some have hot water. The staff are very warm and helpful.