Madhupur National Park

Madhupur protects the largest surviving block of sal forest in Bangladesh, on the raised red laterite tract that runs north from Dhaka, a landscape of deciduous hardwood on low undulating ground cut by shallow valleys called baid that flood in the monsoon. The forest has been heavily reduced by clearance for agriculture and plantation and what remains is fragmented, but the core is substantial enough to hold monkeys, jackals, mongoose, and a good bird list, with a small deer enclosure. The Garo and Koch peoples live in and around the forest and their villages are part of the landscape, with their own churches, houses and a distinct culture, and questions of land rights in the forest remain live.

What you actually see

• The largest sal forest block - the main surviving stand in the country.
• Baid valleys - the shallow depressions that flood in the monsoon.
• Garo and Koch villages - the communities living in and around the forest.
• Forest birds and monkeys - the wildlife the remaining core holds.

When to go

November to March. Half a day. Weekends bring picnic crowds to the accessible edges. Roads through the forest are usable but slow. The monsoon floods the low ground.

Honest expectations

Encroachment and plantation have fragmented the forest badly and the damage is visible. Wildlife is limited. Weekend litter is a problem. Facilities are minimal. Land rights disputes affect some areas and visitors should be careful where they walk.

Nearby

Tangail is south; Mymensingh lies north-east.