The Hakaluki Haor
Hakaluki Haor is one of the major wetlands of Bangladesh with a land area of 18,386 hectares. This haor provides direct and indirect livelihood benefits to nearly 190,000 people. This haor was declared an Ecologically Critical Area in 1999 by our government. Hakaluki Haor is an important source of fisheries resources for Bangladesh. Its water abounds with fishes like Kalibaus, Rui, Boal, Chagol, Pabda, Chapila etc. There are 107 species of fishes available here. The unique haor system contributes to the beauty of the landscape both during the monsoon and the dry season. The haor is spread over Kulaura, Juri and Baralekha upazilla under Moulovibazar district and Fenchuganj and Gopalganj Upazila under the Sylhet district.
Hakaluki Haor is an important source of fisheries resources for Bangladesh. There are about 276 beels cover an area of 4925.198 hectors in the dry season. The beels in Hakaluki Haor provide water shelter for the mother fisheries. Migratory waterfowls that fly in from the north take rest in this haor. It also provides shelter for many other unimportant species of waterfowls. Hakaluki Haor is also known as good grazing land in winter. People from near and far send their herds for grazing. Thatching material is the most useful natural wetland product of the area. The haor had very dense swamp forests in the past, but due to deforestation and lack of conservation practices, this forest has been destroyed.
A large number of aquatic weeds present here that provide cover, shelter, and shade of aquatic fauna. This haor gets an excellent dimension in the winter season by embellishing of migratory birds. Every winter, tens of thousands of guest birds of about 150 species from Siberian and other cold country flocks to the haors. These birds are Bright and Rose king duck, Pankouri, Pantamukhi, Nishir payra, Chokhachockhi, balihas, Bokal, Khorjona, Dahuk, etc. During the winter season vast number of birds swimming on the water surface and flying over the haor area. It’s truly a mind-blowing seen.
The haor system gives a lot of economic and social benefits to the local people. Some 190,000 people live in the surrounding Hakaluki haor area. It provides a wide range of economic and non-economic benefits to the local people as well as to the people of Bangladesh. These include fish production, rice production, cattle, and buffalo rearing and many more. Hakaluki Haor was designated an Ecologically Critical Area (ECA). It also is a protected Ramsar site of international significance for the protection and sustainable exploitation of wetlands. This system also protects lower floodplains from flash floods. Moreover, it offers beauty to the landscape during the monsoon and dry season. This unique natural system can attract many tourists.
