The sound of dripping rain in the middle of the night made me awake. I had a plan to go to Habiganj by morning bus. I fell asleep again thinking about how it would be if it rained. When the alarm went off, the rain stopped but, when I went out it started again. We were going on a camping tour with ‘Hit the Trail’ at Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary. It is a dry and evergreen protected forest and the largest natural forest in Bangladesh after the Sundarbans. It is also the second-largest wildlife sanctuary in the country and the richest forest in the country in terms of biodiversity. It is located in Chunarughat Upazila of Habiganj district in the Sylhet division.
This forest area of about 1895 hectares began to expand in the 1940s. However, Rema Kalenga was recognized as a sanctuary in 1982. The forest was expanded in 1997. The Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary consists of the vast forests of Rema, Kalenga and Chhanbari within the four bits (Kalenga, Rema, Chhanbari and Rashidpur) of the Kalenga Range of the Forest Department. There are several hills. The maximum height of the hills here is about 6 meters above sea level.
The Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary has 36 species of mammals, seven species of amphibians, 16 species of reptiles and 16 species of birds. There are also 637 species of plants and shrubs. There are five species of squirrels in the Rema-Kalenga forest, only the rare species of Malayan big squirrel live in this forest. Three species of monkeys, Kullu, Rhesus and Lajjabati are found in this sanctuary. There are about 16 species of birds in the Rema-Kalenga Wildlife Sanctuary. (Source: Wikipedia)
We arrived at the bus stand. Mamun Bhai, Masum Bhai, Russell Bhai, Swapnil Bhai, all the familiar faces looked good. At half past eight, I went to a nearby hotel for breakfast. In the meantime, everyone left. We had another baby with us, Ayat. I already knew her mother Emmy Apu. The new acquaintance is with Shaolin, Tumpa Apu, Tushar Bhai, Emi Apu’s brother Alamgir’s brother and Mukit. Everyone sat down and ordered breakfast. After eating, we went to drink water and discovered that there is no glass in this hotel! Water is consumed in small bottles. This is not seen in hotels inside Dhaka.
It’s bus time. It did not take long to reach Shayestaganj. On reaching Shayestaganj, three CNGs were taken. It took about half an hour to reach the sanctuary. The road conditions were very bad. There was a lot of mud the night before it rained. Upon arrival, guide Noman Bhai took us to the cottage. That’s where our belongings were kept. Since it was too late to arrive, it was decided to have lunch and go for the trail. Everyone went to eat. The dining room was different. Seeing the menu made my tongue water. I ate a lot of vegetables, dried mashed potatoes, thick pulses and chicken.
All the beautiful pictures were taken before going on the trail. That day we were going on a half-hour trail. Noman Bhai is a wise man. He gave a lot of information while walking. There are four indigenous communities living in the Rema-Kalenga forest. There is a neighbourhood of Tripura community inside this forest. There are also Santal, Telugu and Urang tribes. A lot can be seen by walking quietly on the trail. I saw Hanumans jumping from one tree to another, hanging. Meanwhile, it started raining heavily. The sound of dripping rain in the silent forest, the call of birds are different. The view of the forest from the tower is more beautiful. Our camping plan is by the lake. But in the end, nothing can be said about what will happen due to the rain. Rain is always unpredictable in Sylhet.
It was almost evening. We also went back to the cottage. I sat outside for a while. It could not be done due to rain. I thought we would go to the tea shop after the rain stopped. Tehjib and Ayat were sitting at home singing and talking. They will not go. Emmy Apu and Alamgir’s brother will not go either. We went to the store, ordered tea and started chatting. How much talk, how much laughter! This is the fun of the tour. Whether there is a blood relationship or not, a relationship of sincerity is formed. I often say that if you go on a tour, you will find lost siblings there and lots of joy with them!
We headed back to the cottage. Barbecue was being organized. We sat in a circle around the fire. We started gossiping and singing songs. At the request, I also dared to sing a song. Thus a lot of time passed. The cooking skill of the people there is so good! The barbecue was so delicious.
The morning was wet and cold for rain. Just green all around. In the meantime, we all did a photo session by hanging Tushar Bhai’s hammock on the shore of the lake. The hammock was quite beautiful. Then I packed up my tent and went back to the cottage. We were supposed to walk on a three-hour trail the next day and return to Dhaka. The interesting aspect of Rema-Kalenga was its delicious meal. We were just saying, how can all food be so good every time in a place!
That three-hour trail was covered with jungle. Plants, paddy fields, lemon orchards, everything was there. Several small canals have to be crossed. Monkeys come in groups to eat rice. Shy monkeys and spectacled Hanuman were seen there. Huge trees multiply the beauty of the forest. Noman Bhai also showed the footprints of a tiger at one place on the way. Meanwhile, Shapnil Bhai was joking and pretending to be a tribal with a few leaves tied around his waist. When he was returning to the cottage with that costume, the people of the area were surprised!
Back at the cottage, I got freshen up and ate lunch. Then I went to the tea shop to make myself feel good. As it was a land of Sylhet, tea was a must after every stage of our tour. After that, I was thinking of going to Rema-Kalenga again just to have fun and relax, because that was the time to leave. CNG has come to take us. It is time to return after overcoming the illusion of a green forest.
