Haors (bowl shaped depressions from the water level of rivers) of Bangladesh are enriched in biodiversity having great
importance. Some haors of Bangladesh are nationally and internationally important for their plenteous beauty and pompous
biodiversity.
The Hakaluki is particularly a good example for such type of water resources which has great ecological, economic and
commercial values. It is one of t he Bangladesh largest and one of Asia’s larger wetland resource. The haor is spreaded over
Kulaura, Juri and Baralekha upazilla under Moulovibazar district and Fenchuganj and Gopalganj upazillas under Sylhet
district. The total area of this haor is about 39322.422 hectors or 97166.78 acres but at the rainy season its total area turns
into 7000 hectors. Though the haor is surrounded by eleven union and five upazillas, 40% of its territory lies in Barolekha
upazilla.
The haor itself comprises a complex web of Juri, Fanai and Continala rivers. There is about 276 beels cover an area of
4925.198 hectors in the dry season from which 80 interconnecting beels are located in Moulovibazar district.
Hakaluki Haor is an important source of fisheries resources for Bangladesh. Kalibaus, Boal, Rui, Ghagot, Pabda and Chapila
are the main fish species found here. From the Kushiara there are frequent upstream movement of fish towards the beels and
tributaries of Hakaluki. The beels in Hakaluki haor provide winter shelter for the mother fisheries. In early monsoon these
mother fisheries produce millions of fries for the entire downstream fishing communities. Floodplains are also an
important source of fisheries resources within the area. However, many of the beels have lost their capacity to provide
shelter for mother fisheries because of sand deposits from upstream rivers and canals, use of complete dewatering
technique for fishing and lack of aquatic plants to provide feed and shelter for parent fish.