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.

Lawachara National Park is best known for the relative ease of seeing primates including four globally threatened species: Northern Pig-tailed Macaque, Phayre’s Leaf Monkey, Capped Langur, and the most important population in Bangladesh of Western Hoolock Gibbon, the only ape found in Bangladesh. The forest is a popular destination for nature lovers and scientists, a wide range of forest birds are present from Oriental Pied Hornbill and Kalij Pheasant down to six species of flowerpecker – Bangladesh’s smallest birds. Surveys continually find species new for the forest and several species are only known in Bangladesh from Lawachara. The micro-climate of tall forest trees, cool clean air, and lush green seems a world 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 guest houses and guides.