The Famous Chandpur’s Rupali Ilish or Hilsa Fish

Chandpur is not only a place of natural and human-made attractions. The water bodies surrounding it are home to one of the best fish that Bangladesh has to offer. Chandpur is home to the national fish of Bangladesh – Rupali Ilish.

AT A GLANCE

Name: The famous Chadpur’s Rupali Ilish or Hilsa Fish
Location: The famous Chadpur’s Rupali Ilish or Hilsa Fish  Chandpur, Bangladesh.
Destination: Dhaka to Chandpur
Transport: Al Arafa, Madina,Padma,BRTC etc bus services from Saydabad, 
Gabtoli etc. Meghna Rani, A V New Al Borak, M V Eagle, Bagdadia, 
Shonad Tir 1 and 2 etc lunch services from Sadarghat.
Fair: BDT 250 to 500(Bus), BDT 100 – 2500 (Lunch)
Time: 3.5 - 4 Hours (Bus), 3.5 - 4Hours (Lunch)
Explore: The famous Chadpur’s Rupali Ilish or Hilsa Fish, Chandpur,Bangladesh.
Distance: 110 km from Dhaka.
Cost: Depend to coverage tourists spots.
Accommodation: Hotels available.
Food: Available.
Advice: Keep dry foods, water, medicines, saline, glucose, extra money, and kits.

Rupali Ilish is a symbol, a memorial of Bangladeshi tradition. It has been known that Chandpur has been the home of the Rupali Ilish for more than many hundreds of years. It has been an integral part of the tradition, culture and life of the people of Chandpur.

Ilish is a highly economic commodity of the country. By selling and exporting it abroad, the country earns many revenues. Its high demand amongst people is not only because of its appearance but its taste and beautiful silver colour. It is known that the water of Meghna River is world’s second best water body for sustaining the life of the river ecosystem. Much sunlight falls in the river, and the current of Padma-Meghna gives birth to a particular type of Plankton. This plankton is the food of the Rupali Ilish. Thus, where this plankton is abundant, there is an abundance of the Rupali Ilish – the symbol of tradition.

Chadpur Ilish Fry
Chadpur Ilish Fry

It is important to state that apart from tourists, for those who intend to vlog on YouTube, mainly about food, for them this place is ideal. This location contains the age-old traditional symbol of the Ilish Fish, which is more than a food item for the people of Bangladesh.

Chandpur is famous for hosting the famous Rupai Ilish. Tourists visiting Chandpur must have this delicacy, and apart from eating it just to stare at the fish is also an experience as the Rupali Ilish is majestic in its appearance.

How to visit the Chandpur from Dhaka

Tourists can travel to Chandpur by bus, train or most preferably by launch. Most tourists use waterway to travel through the beautiful and magnanimous Meghna River and reach Chandpur. There are launches such as Meghna Rani, A V New Al Borak, MV Eagle, Bagdadia, Shonad Tir 1 and 2, and some few other launches are there which can take tourists directly from Dhaka to Chandpur. The departing time of these launches from Dhaka to Chandpur are within these times- 09:25am, 09:55am, 10:15am, 07:30pm, 08:30pm, 09:00pm, 11:20pm, 12:00pm, 12:30pm.

By launch, the sceneries of water are just beautiful to observe, and as it takes around 3.5 to 4 hours to reach Chandpur from Dhaka tourists can hire the rooftop of the launch and see the beauty and grace of big water bodies of Bangladesh.

There are other ways to reach Chandpur such as by taking bus services. For example, Padma Paribahan is a bus service which goes from Dhaka to Chandpur starting their trip at 6:30 A.M., and their last trip is in 9 A.M . Tourists who are not comfortable with water can use the bus service and reach Chandpur, and by travelling through the bus as well, tourists will be able to witness many village scenarios and beautiful views of a rural and natural people doing their daily activities.

The horizon fills with various shades of green, and from the bus windows, such things are amazing to observe. There are other bus services such as Al Arafa, Madina which departs in various points of Dhaka such as Saydabad, Gabtoli etc. and these bus services will take tourists directly from Dhaka to Chandpur. The journey takes around 4 hours, and the cost of the bus ticket is within the range of 250 to 500 taka.