Bichnakandi also known as Bisnakandi, is a village in Rustompur Union, Gowainghat Upazila of Bangladesh’s Sylhet District. In recent years, there has been an influx of tourists to its river.
Bichnakandi is a quarry spot that is used to collect rocks from the riverbed. It is the place where many layers of the Khasi mountains from both sides meet at one point. Fountains from the Khasi Hills make a lake that is connected to Piyain River. The rocks are also natural and come down with water streams from the mountains. It is one of the most visited tourist spots in Bangladesh.
Ratargul Swamp Forest is a freshwater swamp forest located in Gowain River, Fatehpur Union, Gowainghat, Sylhet, Bangladesh. It is the only swamp forest located in Bangladesh and one of the few freshwater swamp forests in the world. The forest is naturally conserved under the Department of Forestry, Government of Bangladesh.
Its area is 3, 325.61 acre including 504 acre declared as the animal sanctuary in 2015. It is known as the Sundarbans of Sylhet. This only swamp forest in Bangladesh is located 26 kilometres (16 mi) far from Sylhet. The forest’s name comes from the word, “Rata” or “Pati” tree, used by the locals of Sylhet.
The evergreen forest is situated by the river Goain and linked with the channel Chengir Khal. Most of the trees growing here are the Dalbergia reniformis (করচ গাছ Koroch tree). The forest is submerged under 20–30 feet water in the rainy season. For the rest of the year, the water level is about 10 feet deep. Ratargul is known as “Sundarban of Sylhet”
