Lawachara National Park is the best-studied and most visited protected area in Bangladesh. The park is located close to the town of Srimangal but within Kamalganj Upazila, Moulvibazar District in the northeast of the country. It comprises about half of the 2,740 ha West Bhanugach Reserved Forest. Lawachara National Park covers approximately 1,250 ha of semi-evergreen tropical forest. The land was declared a national park by the Bangladesh government on July 7, 1996, under the Wildlife Act of 1974.
Lauachara National Park is well-known for its relative ease with primates, including four worldwide threatened species: the Northern Pig-legged macaque, the Leaf monkey in the fire, the capped langur, and the most important population of Bangladesh, the Western Hulk Gibbons, the only mountain in Bangladesh. Forests are a popular destination for nature lovers and scientists, from the Oriental Pied Hornbill and the Calais pheasant to the six species of butterflies - the largest of the smallest birds in Bangladesh. Surveys consistently find new species for the forest, and several species are known only in Bangladesh from Lauachara. The micro-climate of tall forests, cool clear air and greenery seems to be far away from the rest of Bangladesh.
Two villages of Khashia ethnic community are located inside
the forest. The largest, “Magurchara Punji”, is inhabited by 40 households and the other, “Lawachara Punji”, has 23 households. Surrounding the NP are tea estates and several villages including a Tipra community of 75 households. Ecotourism is rapidly developing in the area through local guesthouses and guides.
