Baulai nodi(বওলাই নদী), a river near the Tanguar Haor(টাঙ্গুয়ার হাওর). Very picturesque and tranquil river. It seems the river doesn’t have any hurry at this winter. Water is calm here, like pond water. Both banks of the river are having a peculiar trees which has the survival capabilities under water.
If you go to Tanguar Haor(টাঙ্গুয়ার হাওর) during winter, you have to go through the river. During on our way, we have seen a common lifestyle there. Specially at early morning, fishermen carrying a net is very common there. Most of them having a buoyant pot around them that keeps the fishes, and they were pushing or pulling the fishing net to catch fish.
I didn’t see any migratory birds around the river during my travel. But I have seen lot of our native birds were preying around the river. Few birds I can remember are White Egret(সাদা বক), Pankouri(পানকৌরি), Common Seagull(গাংচিল), Kingfisher(মাছরাঙ্গা), etc.
Baulai river(বওলাই নদী) is the only option for the local people for transporting. People were moving from one place to another using boats over the river. Goods are being carried here too. Apart from the private boat transports, I have seen several large public boats were carrying people too.
Most of the time the river bank was empty. People built their houses there keeping a huge distance. Sometime there is no human nests around the river near 2/3 miles. Most of the people are poor(even below).
Basically there are a huge number of rivers flowing around the Tanguar Haor(টাঙ্গুয়ার হাওর). Lot of branches originated from the river, and lot of other rivers joined with this one. Origin of the river possibly the Meghalaya hills of India and it flowed between the Haor(হাওর) and later joined with great Surma River(সুরমা নদী) of Sunamganj(সুরমা নদী).
It is winter, the water level of the river is less right now. While swimming around the river, I couldn’t reach at the bottom of the river even at dry season. Still it must have a 20 ft of average depth.
During the rainy season, the river water raised another 20 ft and more. That time you’ll not find any trace of the river. Everything will be under water that time, mile after mile, like a ocean. Only few houses and trees will be amid of the large waterland.
There are several pronunciation of the river name, baulai, boulai, বউলাই, বাউলাই, বওলাই, etc.
