Tentulia—North Bengal's New 'Nature Capital'

New tourist attractions are emerging one after another in Tentulia Upazila of Panchagarh, the northernmost district of Bangladesh. The most talked about among them is Noman's Land in Kumartul area, located on the border of Tentulia Sadar and Shalbahan Union, which is now known to tourists as 'Chhota Bharat'. A charming natural environment has been created around this border area. The peaceful, green rural nature of Bangladesh and the vast tea gardens and barbed wire fences of India on the other side—the combination of these two has made the place a special attraction for tourists. Every day, this area is crowded with people who are thirsty for travel from different parts of the country. It is becoming more popular as photos and videos go viral on social media.

It was seen on the spot that many people are standing next to the border pillar number 436, taking photos, making videos and enjoying the beauty of India's tea gardens from a safe distance. The nature of the border becomes more enchanting in the soft light of autumn, so the crowd here is the most in the morning and afternoon. Nusrat Jahan, who came from Dhaka with her family, said that they had originally come to see Kanchenjunga, but the trip would have been incomplete without seeing this border. Manjurul Islam Sohel, who came from Rajshahi, said that standing so close to the border and seeing the tea gardens of India was a new experience for him. According to Arjun Roy, a tourist who came from Bogra on a bike, the place is different and peaceful, so the joy of taking pictures with fellow travelers is also different.

According to locals, 'Chhota Bharat' is now one of the favorite spots for photographers, travel bloggers and social media users. Numerous people come here to take pictures every day. Tentulia Upazila Nirbahi Officer Afroz Shaheen Khasru said that the arrival of tourists in Tentulia is increasing, and the administration and law enforcement agencies are regularly active to ensure the safety of tourists. The BGB is also on alert for the security of the border area.

It is worth noting that Tentulia has always been an important place in terms of tourism. The world's third highest mountain peak, Kanchenjunga, can be seen with the naked eye here. There is Banglabandha Zero Point, vast tea gardens on the plains, Tentulia Dakbungalow, Mahananda River and numerous places of natural beauty. With these, this 'Chhota Bharat' in the bordering Kumartul area has been added, which is further enriching the tourism of Tentulia and making Tentulia newly familiar to the nature lovers of North Bengal.