Geographic Information

Hail Haor is situated in Moulvibazar District. It is one of the notable wetlands of Bangladesh. This is one of the safest abodes of many wild animals and migratory birds. Hail Haor Wildlife Sanctuary is a major wildlife sanctuary in Bangladesh. It is one of the most important wetlands in the Sylhet Basin for the resident and migratory waterfowls. It is also an important water source for the inhabitants living around when all other sources dry up during summer. The sanctuary is located in Moulvibazar District, in the northeast region of the country.

The sanctuary is located mainly between the hills on the south, west, and east side and Manu and Kushiara river plains on the north. The hills are covered with tea gardens and natural forest blocks. The water of the wetland extends to cover approximately 14,000 ha (140 km2) during the monsoon and shrinks to 3,000 ha (30 km2) during the summer season. It is restricted to 130 beels and narrow canals. There are about 172000 people living in 62 villages around the wetland.

The receding water after monsoon exposes the land which is converted to rice fields by local people. The Bangladesh Government and the United States Agency for International Development implemented a project called 'Management of Aquatic ecosystems through Community Husbandry' from 1998 to 2008. This project involved local groups in wetland conservation, restoration, and management.

It is located 3 kilometers (1.9 mi) north-west of Srimangal and 14 kilometers (8.7 mi) southwest of Moulavibazar.

Hail hour with the chirping of migratory birds: -

Small boats drifting through the endless waters. Sitting in those boats, some are fishing, while others are busy organizing fishing. Medium-sized boats move slowly through the water. They are not fishing boats; they are tourist boats.

Tourists come here to watch the sunset in the mellow calm waters. The sky is crimson in the light of the crimson sun in the late autumn afternoon. Shepherds are returning home with their cows. Fishermen are crowding the boats on the shore. A group of fishermen is walking towards the village market with a net on one side and a basket of fish on the other side of the boat. Flocks of birds are running from one end to the other. The surroundings are full of chirping of domestic and foreign birds.

And after a while the red sun will set. Evening will come. I was talking about Hail Haor of Srimangal in Moulvibazar. Hail Haor is spread across Sadar and Srimangal upazilas of Moulvibazar district and Bahubal upazila of Habiganj district of Sylhet division.

It has 14 bils and 13 drains. The total area of this haor is 10,000 hectares, of which 4,000 hectares are floodplains, 4,517 ha haor, 1,400 ha beel, 40 ha canal and 50 ha river.

How To Go

You can go directly to Srimangal from Dhaka by road and rail. However, after reaching Sylhet by air, you can also come to Srimangal from there.