Gazipur, Dhaka
A protected stretch of the old Bhawal sal forest beside the Dhaka–Mymensingh highway, with shaded walks, lakes and picnic spots.
Bhawal National Park protects part of the sal forest that once covered the red-soil uplands north of Dhaka, the old domain of the Bhawal zamindars. It was declared a national park in the 1970s to save what remained from clearing.
Sal is the main tree, with mixed woodland, grassy openings, small lakes and streams in between. Birds and small animals live here, though the large wildlife of the old forest is long gone.
Today the park is above all a place for Dhaka people to breathe: in winter it fills with picnic groups, and on quieter days it is a calm place for a long walk in the shade.
Take a bus up the Dhaka–Mymensingh highway before the morning traffic builds.
Enter at the main gate and walk the paths through the sal trees while birds are active.
Rest by the lakes and open glades, with a packed lunch or a booked picnic spot.
Leave the park in the afternoon and head back to Dhaka ahead of the evening rush.
November to February; weekdays are much quieter than Fridays
On the Dhaka–Mymensingh highway north of Joydebpur, about 30–45 minutes by bus or CNG from Gazipur Chowrasta, depending on traffic. Ask any Mymensingh- or Sreepur-bound bus to drop you at the national park gate.
Inside the park you walk: paved and dirt paths lead from the gate past the lakes and picnic spots into the sal woods.
