Bhawal National Park Gazipur

Bhawal National Park has been developed in the shadow of Joydevpur in Gazipur , 40 kilometers away from the capital Dhaka . It is also known as Bhawal's Gajari Madha by many due to its abundance of gajari trees. Spread over an area of ​​about 5022 hectares, Bhawal National Park was recognized as a National Park in 1982. Among the 221 species of plants in the park are 43 species of trees, 19 species of shrubs, 3 species of palms, 27 species of grasses, 24 species of vines and 104 species of medicinal plants. There are also 64 different species of animals including 13 species of mammals, 9 species of reptiles, 5 species of birds and amphibians. Many people organize picnics and various events in this park, full of natural beauty and biodiversity.

Entering Bhawal Garh through Gate No. 3, the first thing you will notice are the two elephant sculptures at the terracotta entrance. Inside the park there are 31 picnic spots, 19 beautiful cottages, state-of-the-art rest houses, butterfly garden, turtle breeding center and children's park. If you are tired of walking among the rows of trees in the garden, there are benches or canopies for rest. Green paddy fields, ponds or small lakes can be seen in the midst of this extensive forest. Along with a boat ride on the lake, there is a towering watch tower to view the entire park.

Bhawal National Park can be visited from sunrise to sunset. Entry fee is Rs 20 per person. Entrance fee includes charges for children park, watch tower, mini zoo and public toilets. If you want to enter by private car, microbus or bus, you have to pay Tk 60, Tk 100 and Tk 200 respectively.

To rent a picnic spot or rest house, advance booking is required from the Mahakhali office of the Forest Department. Apart from this, booking of Bhawal National Park can also be taken from the range office of Rajendrapur National Park located a little away from Bhawal Garh by paying the prescribed fee. Mobile: 01781-733000 , 01713-575055

The distance between Gazipur Sadar and Bhawal Ghazari, ie Bhawal National Park, is only 3 km. After crossing the Jaidebpur intersection and moving a little further, the main entrance of Bhawal Garh will be noticed on the right hand side. You can go to Bhawal Udyan by your own car from Dhaka or by any bus bound for Mymensingh from Mahakhali, Airport or Rajendrapur Chowrasta via Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway. Again, if you take a Prabhati or Banshri Paribahan bus from Gulisthan and get off at gate number 3 of the National Park, you can directly get off at the main gate of Bhawal National Park. The bus fare is 80 to 100 taka per person.

One can visit Bhawal Udyan from Dhaka all day and return in the afternoon or evening. Besides, there are several resorts near Bhawal Ghazari Garh for night stay like Sarah, Sohag Palli, Spring Valley, Chudha, Nakshatrabari and Jal and Jungle Kavya. But if you want to go to the resorts, it is better to book in advance. Besides, Gazipur has numerous hotels of normal quality.

Inside Bhawal Garh there are small tong shops and canteens for light tea and snacks. However, there is an opportunity to cook in the cottage for picnic or any occasion subject to special permission.

Other places of interest

Other attractions in Gazipur include Nuhash Palli , Bangabandhu Safari Park and Rajendra Eco Park.

Feature Image: Ruhul