Kaptai National Park, National park in Rangamati Hill District, Bangladesh.
Kaptai National Park is a protected forest covering about 5,400 hectares of mixed evergreen woodland with teak plantations and many native tree species throughout. The park sits in Rangamati's hilly terrain and is crossed by waterways that shape the dense forested landscape.
The park was formally established in 1999, though teak plantations within its boundaries date back to 1873, showing early efforts at forest management in the region. It developed from the earlier Sitapahar Reserve and represents a long history of woodland care.
The Chakma and other indigenous groups living near the park maintain close ties to these forests, visible in how they gather resources and move through the landscape. Visitors often encounter signs of traditional knowledge and practices woven into daily life in surrounding villages.
The park lies about 55 kilometers from Chittagong and is reachable by local roads, with guided tours and lodging options available through providers near Rangamati. The best time to visit is outside monsoon months when trails are dry and easy to walk.
In 2014, camera traps captured the first live photograph of a wild clouded leopard in Bangladesh within the park, documenting a rare big cat that had rarely been recorded before. This discovery revealed that the forest harbors elusive predators thought to be scarce in the region.
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