Bichanakandi, Sylhet
Photo: Anindya Roy · CC BY-SA 4.0

Sylhet District · Sylhet Division · বিছনাকান্দি

Bichanakandi travel guide

Clear water flowing down from the hills over a bed of stones; most beautiful in the monsoon and autumn.

🗓️ Best time to visitJune–October
⏱ How long it takesHalf a day
💰 Estimated costBoat from Hadarpar ৳1,000–1,500 (return); CNG hire ৳1,500–2,000

At a glance

Location
Rustampur union, Gowainghat
Getting there
Boat from Hadarpar Bazar
Features
Clear streams over a bed of stones
Best time
June–October

History and details

Bichanakandi sits where Meghalaya's hill streams enter Bangladesh. Stones carried down from the hills lie spread like a bed, with cold clear water flowing over them — hence the name Bichanakandi.

Until photos spread on social media around 2014–15, the place was known only to locals. Now thousands of tourists come in the monsoon. Across the border are Meghalaya's hills and waterfalls, and in front a huge spread of stones to sit on in the water.

After heavy rain, flash floods from the hills raise the water suddenly; accidents happen every year through carelessness, so watch the current.

Things to do

  • Sit on the stones and rest your feet in the cold water
  • See Panthumai Waterfall on the boat ride
  • Stay in the safe part and don't go towards the border

How to get to Bichanakandi

From Sylhet to Hadarpar Bazar, then by boat.

Sylhet is about 240 km from Dhaka; the journey takes 5–6 hours.

  • 🚌 By bus: Green Line, Ena, Hanif, Shyamoli from Sayedabad/Fakirapul; non-AC ৳650–750, AC ৳1,200–1,600.
  • 🚆 By train: Parabat, Joyontika, Kalni, Upaban Express from Kamalapur; fare about ৳375–1,100.
  • ✈️ By air: Biman, US-Bangla, Novoair; one way ৳3,500–6,000, 45 minutes.

Where to stay

  • Rose View Hotel
  • Nirvana Inn
  • Grand Sylhet Hotel & Resort
  • Mid-range hotels at Dargah Gate and Zindabazar (৳1,500–3,500)

What to eat

Meat with satkora, bhorta-rice at Panch Bhai/Panshi restaurants, tea

Good to know

  • Flash floods can come down from the hills after heavy rain — be careful
  • There's hardly any water in the dry season
  • Avoid stone-extraction areas

More to see nearby

  • Panthumai Waterfall (30 minutes by boat)
  • Lakshmanchhara (by boat)
  • Ratargul (30 km)

More places to visit in Sylhet district

  • Ratargul Swamp Forest — The country's only freshwater swamp forest; boat among the trees in the monsoon.
  • Jaflong — The Piyain River, stones and clear water below India's Meghalaya hills; Khasia punjis nearby.
  • Lalakhal — A river of blue-green water and tea gardens; boat trips.
  • Sada Pathor, Bholaganj — White stones and cold clear water from the hills at the mouth of the Dhalai River.
  • Shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal (R) — One of the country's main spiritual pilgrimage sites.
  • Malnicherra Tea Garden — The subcontinent's first commercial tea garden (1854).
  • Panthumai Waterfall — A big waterfall coming down from the Meghalaya hills, seen from the river.

Location on the map