Tanguar Haor by houseboat: what to know

Houseboats are banned from the haor’s protected core for now. What is still possible, and what to ask if trips resume.

For years most visitors saw Tanguar Haor on a one or two night houseboat trip from Tahirpur. In June 2025 the Sunamganj district administration closed the watchtower area to houseboats, and on 2 August 2026 it banned all houseboats and tourist boats from the haor’s Ecologically Critical Area until further notice. Operators must also register with the district.

What you can still do

• Go by road from Tahirpur to Tekerghat for Niladri Lake and Barikka Tila above the Jadukata river.
• Visit the Shimul Bagan near the Jadukata when the trees flower in Falgun and Chaitra, from about mid-February.
• Ask in Tahirpur which boat routes outside the protected area are open, and take only a registered boat.

If houseboat trips resume

Before the ban, a typical trip boarded at Tahirpur around noon, crossed the haor, anchored on open water for the night and visited Tekerghat the next morning. If the rules change, expect any new routes to avoid the protected core.

Questions to ask before you book

• Is the boat registered with the district administration, and which route is it allowed to take?
• Are life jackets provided for every guest?
• How many guests share a bathroom?
• How is waste stored and brought back to shore?
• What happens if a storm warning cancels the trip?

Do not pay a deposit for a trip into the protected area while the ban stands. The haor is a protected wetland and a home for fishing communities, and the rules were made to protect its wildlife and stop environmental damage.