Tanguar Haor, placed withinside the Dharmapasha and Tahirpur upazilas of Sunamganj District in Bangladesh, is a completely unique wetland ecosystem of country wide importance and has come into international focus. The place of Tanguar Haor such as 46 villages withinside the haor is ready one hundred rectangular kilometres of which 2,802.36 ha² is wetland.
Tanguar Haor is located at the foothills of Meghalaya hills in Dharmapasha and Tahirpur upazilas of Sunamganj district. More than 30 jharas (waterfalls) from the Meghalaya hills merge into this haor. Tanguar Haor is the largest wetland in the district with an area of 9,727 hectares consisting of 51 haors in 18 mauzas of two upazilas. 28 square kilometers of water-logged main haor and the rest is residential and agricultural land. This haor was once a source of trees, fish and birds and natural biodiversity. In 1999, Tanguar Haor was declared an 'Environmentally Critical Area', ending the 60-year long leasehold. On January 20, 2000 AD, Hawar was declared a 'Ramsar site'. ICUN is working to protect the biodiversity of this region. A memorandum of understanding was signed between the governments of Bangladesh and Switzerland on 12 February 2001 to ensure the change in the socio-economic conditions of the people of Haor area, conservation of resources and sustainable management. The district administration took control of Haor from November 9, 2003. The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the ICUN have been running the 'Socially Based Sustainable Management of Tanguare Hau' project since December 2006.[3]
When the water dries up in the winter season, the bank of about 24 bill (kanda in local language) wakes up, only the inner part of the kanda has the original bill, and the local farmers cultivate Rabi and Boro paddy in the dry part. During this time the area was also used as a pasture. Migratory birds take shelter in the high slopes of the water-logged haor during the monsoons—sunbathing, eating. As the kandas are no longer visible (2012), local NGOs and government management have buried small bamboo or wooden rest-sticks there.
One of the biodiversity of Tanguare Haor is the variety of birds. Apart from native birds, this haor is also home to migratory birds from as far away as Siberia in winter. According to the 2019 bird census, 208 species of birds have been observed in Haor and its surrounding area.[4] Migratory birds include the rare species of Palace's Eagle, the large Gray Kingstork, and the Haor. Among the local species, Vulture, Pankauri, Beguni Kalem, Dahuk, Duck, Gangchil, Buck, Stork, Crow, Conch Chil, Pati Koot (28-29% of this haor)[1] etc. birds regularly migrate to this haor. There is also an endangered species of migratory bird Kurul (about 100 specimens in Bangladesh). In the 2011 bird census, a total of 28,876 birds of about 47 species of waterfowl were counted in this Howre Chatinna Beel and its canal, Roa Beel, Lechuamara Beel, Rupabai Beel, Hatir Gata Beel, Berberia Beel, Baillar Dubi, Tekunna and Anna Beel. . Among other birds noticed in this census are coots, morcherong bhuthihans, pyonghas; Also birds such as Common Goose, Pantamukhi or Shoveler, Red-headed Goose, Lalshir, Nilshir, Pati, Lenza, Diver, Pankauri etc. [1] Every year, some of the rarest species of birds in the entire country are seen in Tangua. These include the Baikal pheasant, Bayer's goshawk, and the Kalolage shrike. Five of the eight bear ghouls seen in Bangladesh have been found in Tangua. Among the rare species of birds are Black-winged Tengi, Thick-billed, Yar, Mette Swan, Fish Mural, Red-breasted Gurguri, Pati Lalpa, Gewal Batan, Long-fingered Tea Bird, Great Crested Eagle, Great Crested Diver, Black Girdi etc.