Kaptai Lake, Artificial reservoir in Rangamati District, Bangladesh.
Kaptai Lake is an artificial reservoir that spreads across multiple districts and divides into two large arms connected by a narrow gorge near Shubalong. The water fills an area surrounded by hills and forested banks, with steep cliffs in some places and gentler slopes elsewhere.
The Kaptai Dam was built in 1962 and flooded large farming areas, displacing tens of thousands of people from their ancestral regions. This transformation has remained significant in shaping how communities experienced major change in the years that followed.
The water covers land that once belonged to the Chakma people, an indigenous group whose way of life changed dramatically after the dam's construction. Local communities have adapted to living alongside this large reservoir and now use it as part of their daily rhythm.
The best way to explore the lake is by wooden boat, and hanging bridges cross over the water and connect different areas along the shores. Nearby towns in Rangamati district offer lodging and basic facilities for visitors staying in the region.
Four rivers feed the water - Mayni, Kasalong, Chengi, and Rinkhyong - and their meeting point shapes the lake's distinctive H-shaped form. This unusual outline is what gives the reservoir its recognizable profile when seen from above.
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