Nijhum Dwip means, Silent Island (Bengali: নিঝুম দ্বীপ) is a small island under Hatiya upazila. It is situated in Noakhali District in Bangladesh. Once it was called as Char Osman
History
Nijhum Dwip is a recently discovered island 2 kilometers southwest of Hatia under Noakhali district. Isolated from the Hatia channel,some identify the island as a cluster of 4 or 5 smaller islands. It was initially discovered by fishermen who noticed a small piece of floating land located at the southern part of the sea. Over the years, the island accumulated land-mass and was soon large enough for recognition.It was not settled until 1970, until then only seaonally.Because of riverbank erosion in nearby areas, especially Hatiya, Shahbajpur and Ramgati people migrated to the island as new settlers. Subsequently, a substantial aforestation drive was undertaken by the forestry department of Bangladesh. The island soon became a recognised eco-tourist spot because of the perennial mangrove forests and wild life including animals such as spotted deer, wild boar and rhesus macaque. The island is also home to nearly 100 species of migratory birds, around a dozen of which are considered to be critically endangered.
In 2001, a significant portion of the island was designated as Nijhum Dwip National Park under the jurisdiction of Noakhali district in Bangladesh.
Population
The population in Nijhum Dwip in 2001 was 10,670. Their main occupations are cultivation, fishing and livestock farming. The island produces vegetables. But the island suffers from natural calamities, and life is hard and risky.Current status
Nijhum Dwip presently has six big bazaars with mainly the grocery shops, small restaurants and drug stores. These bazaars are the only places in the islands to have electricity from generators. The forest department of the government of Bangladesh created mangrove forests in Nijhum Dwip and the main attraction in these forests is the herd of about 5000 spotted dear. The most important type of tree planted in the island is Keora, also known as Kerfa, which has fast growing roots holding the sandy land. The plant also supplies pillars for houses, materials for making boats and agricultural implements, and fuel for domestic use. In 2001, the government of Bangladesh declared Nijhum Dwip forests as National Park.Travelling to Nijhum Dwip
Nijhum Dwip is the only island in Bangladesh where travelers or tourists can find deer. There are around 500 deer on the island. Direct travelling to Nijhum Dwip is not possible, so one has to travel through different places to reach the destination.In order to reach NijhumDwip, one has to travel to Hatia first by a steamer. From Dhaka, steamer starts from Sadarghat terminal. Steamer like MV Farhan and MV Tipu are safe and popular steamer. To book a cabin, one has to book it before one day. It will take around six to eight hours to reach Hatia.
After reaching Tomuruddin Ghat at Hatia, one has to rent an engine boat to reach Nijhum Dip. It will take around 2/3 hours to reach the island.
However, there is another way to reach the Nijhumdwip from Hatia. One can take a baby taxi at Tomuruddin Ghat and travel to Moktara Ghat which will take around one hour.
Nijhum dwip lies on the other side of Meghna river. So, after reaching Moktaraghat, one has to cross the Meghna river by an engine boat. To reach Nijhumdwip from Moktaraghat, it will take only four to five minutes. To reach the bazaar, one has to take a rickshaw. One can also reach the bazaar by walking.
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