A passage to Chittagong Hill Tracts

In this largely deltaic plain, they remain mostly forgotten -a world apart. But if Bangladesh's diversity has to be realised in its unerring context, the hilly districts on the south-eastern fringe of this land are the places one must pay a visit to. A scenic paradise, Rangamati is one such destination that has the capacity to rival the enchanting backwater of famous Kerala, God's own country, as the Keralites lovingly call it. The difference though is in the manner of the water reservoirs coming into being -one artificially dug with a catchment area of 11,122 sq km and the other mostly naturally created of labyrinthine network of lakes, rivers, canals and inlets running 900 km long. The sweet-water lake created in order to make a reservoir for feeding the Kaptai hydropower plant producing just 230 megawatt power was however not without a cost. No fewer than 18,000 homes disappeared with 100,000 people, 70 per cent of whom were tribal Chakmas, getting displaced.
Whether the geo-morphological change will trigger transformation of unforeseen proportion is yet to be known but about one thing there is no doubt that the 22,000 hectare farmland of a total of 655 sq km that has gone into the lake formed 40 per cent of all such land in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Evidently, the economy of the district has undergone a phenomenal change. Today, tourism and fisheries have made a discernible impact on the economy of Kaptai Upazila in particular. Yet one wonders why the lake meandering through gorges and hills have failed to cast an irresistible appeal on people in love with Nature. Kerala's tourism has developed not just into an industry but into an art by its own right. Facilities, foods and hospitalities on offer in Kerala are simply unforgettable. One wishes the same could be said about the tourism in Rangamati.
A visit to the Boudhha temple where the body of one of the highly revered patriarch monks is preserved in a glass chamber is mostly disappointing. Its maintenance is mostly related to religious ritual than its historical and architectural values. Why the temple was special, apart from the illustrious monk's stay there, is not known. Then the new palace of the Chakma king and the small museum remaining shut most of the time are hardly exciting. The entry fee for a visit to this museum is far too high. One feels cheated when there is nothing to see except a sword and a few pictures of three generations of kings hung from the wall. The original palace now under water with attractive filigree on stones however bears some witness to the regal past.
Even the highly recommended lunch at Peda Ting Ting leaves much to be desired. Well, a restaurant built by bamboo and little else on an islet-like place with clear water playing all around has its own charm. But sadly, the provisions there are not up to the mark. Fish or curries served on half-sliced bamboo may have some novelty but its hygienic quality is certainly suspect. These are small details that tourists are interested in and together they contribute to developing an industry -one that flourishes on hospitality, quality of service and above all presentation of everything in a total package. That endeavour is definitely missing. Even the waterfall at Shuvolong at this time of the year seems to be a relic of what it should be in the rainy season. Water coming down from the peak of the hills is hardly visible. What is still more disappointing is that the bridge built apparently to have a full view of the waterfall stands in a dilapidated condition with most of its wooden planks missing. It seems no one has any responsibility to look after the place. Why will a foreign tourist visit such a place at least at this time of the year?  
Then does Kaptai have nothing to appeal to tourists? It surely has. Those who think the hanging bridge near Tabolchhari is that attraction are completely missing the point. A boat journey on the lake, instead, is an unforgettable experience. With the hills standing guard on both sides, it is a ride through a wonderland. It is unlike anything people from the plain land have ever experienced. The ridges and gorges with their impassive formidability look on as the waves and ripples play alongside the passing boats or launches. At times a hut or a temple on the hilltops leaves one wondering how people climb up and down on a daily basis! Right now the saal trees are bare shedding their leaves but one imagines they become a completely differently sight, full of majesty, in the rainy season.
Now this is exactly where its appeal should be exploited. In the Dal Lake of Kashmir, a boat ride is what tourists long for. Even in Kerala there are such boats on which tourists can spend nights and fish freshly caught from water are cooked for their meals. Arrangements such as this with full security in place can indeed make tourism in Rangamati more appealing to tourists either from home or abroad. Sure enough, the economy there will benefit greatly from such arrangements. But the boats now run on diesel or patrol must opt for environmentally-friendly fuel. No doubt the potential of tourism in that hill district, if exploited reasonably, can change its economy.
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