Baikka Beel (বাইক্কা বিল)

Baikka Beel is a protected wetland sanctuary of about 170 hectares at the southern end of Hail Haor, between Sreemangal and Moulvibazar town in north-east Bangladesh. Closed to fishing since 2003 and watched over from a tower, it is one of the country's best birdwatching sites and suits early risers with binoculars in winter.

A no-fishing wetland sanctuary since 2003

The government declared it a permanent wetland sanctuary in 2003 to restore fish and aquatic wildlife. Fishing is banned inside, so stocks recover and spread into the wider haor. A community resource management organisation runs the sanctuary. Hail Haor as a whole spreads over about 4,000 hectares in the dry season and 14,000 in the monsoon; one later report puts the beel at about 100 hectares.

About 194 bird and 106 fish species

Bird counts rose from 160 species in 2013 to about 194 in later surveys, and 106 fish species have been recorded. Migratory birds arrive before winter and stay until late March. The rare large-billed reed warbler lives in the nearby wetland. A Daily Star review of bird censuses since 2008 found the average number of species recorded has fallen.