Nijhum Dwip

Nijhum Dwip, the silent island, rose from the Meghna estuary as a char in the mid-twentieth century and was planted with mangrove by the Forest Department from the 1970s, with spotted deer introduced into the plantation, and it is now a national park at the very edge of the delta: keora forest laced with tidal creeks, a deer population seen at dawn on the beaches and clearings, and mudflats around the island that carry very large numbers of wintering shorebirds and gulls, with several rarities recorded regularly. A small population fishes and farms. Getting there is a journey of launches, boats and motorbike rides via Hatiya, and staying means basic guesthouses, which is exactly why the flats remain as they are.

What you actually see

• Planted keora mangrove - the forest the island was given.
• Spotted deer on the beaches - the herds at dawn and dusk.
• Vast winter shorebird flats - waders and gulls in very large numbers.
• A young char island - land that rose from the estuary within living memory.

When to go

November to February for the birds and the calm season. Two to three days given the journey. Launch schedules from Dhaka change; the last legs are by local boat and motorbike.

Honest expectations

The journey is long, multi-stage and weather-dependent. Accommodation is very basic. There is no electricity for parts of the day and no facilities beyond the villages. Cyclone risk affects the transition months.

Nearby

Hatiya is across the channel; the open estuary lies south.