Kaptai Lake

About this place

Kaptai Lake is the largest man-made lake in Bangladesh, in Rangamati District, Chittagong Division, surrounded by green hills. It formed after the Kaptai Dam was built on the Karnaphuli River for hydropower. Its average depth is about 30 m. Visitors come for boat trips among its many islands and for air milder than the heat of the plains. Work on the reservoir began in 1956 and the project finished in 1961. The water covered about 220 square km of farmland in the district and displaced many people, and it also flooded the old palace of the Chakma king, which remains under water. So the lake carries a painful memory for its people as well as a beautiful view. You take a boat from Rangamati past small islands, green slopes touching the water and floating houses and restaurants, and you may stop at a small waterfall at the foot of a slope. The light is finest in the morning and at sunset. Several hill peoples live around the lake, so ask before photographing people and respect their customs and areas. It lies about 8 km in a straight line from central Rangamati. The best season runs from October to March, and landslides affect roads in the rainy season. The authorities may require foreigners to register or hold a permit in the area, so check that. The UK Foreign Office currently advises against all but essential travel to the Chittagong Hill Tracts, so check official guidance before planning.