Boisabi: Biju, Sangrai and Boisuk in the Chittagong Hill Tracts

In mid-April the peoples of the Chittagong Hill Tracts celebrate their New Year. The Tripura call it Boisuk, the Marma Sangrai and the Chakma Biju, and together the festival is known as Boisabi. It is the most colourful time to visit Rangamati and Bandarban: flowers floating on the lake at dawn, open houses, folk games, and a water festival where friends drench each other for luck.

Updated 21 October 2026, with the 2026 programme and the expected dates for 2027.

Boisabi dates for 2027

Biju follows the solar calendar, so its days repeat every year. The Marma Sangrai committee in Bandarban announces its programme a few weeks ahead; we update this page then.

How Boisabi 2026 went

On 12 April 2026 people floated flowers, banana-leaf offerings and candles on Kaptai Lake and the Chengi, Maini and Sangu rivers. In Bandarban, Sangrai ran for six days: folk sports, a procession from Rajar Math, a procession to bathe the Buddha on 14 April, pitha fairs, and the Maitree water festival with bamboo-pole climbing on 15 and 16 April.

What happens

• Phool Biju. Before sunrise, families float flowers on the water to send off the old year.
• Mul Biju. Homes cook pajon, a dish of many vegetables, and keep open house for anyone who visits.
• Sangrai water festival. Marma young people splash water on each other in friendship (Maitree Pani Barshan), with music and dancing by the Sangu.

Permits for foreign visitors

Foreign visitors need permission to visit the Chittagong Hill Tracts. Rangamati district has an online application (foreigner.rangamati.gov.bd) where you upload your passport, visa, hotel and itinerary; in Bandarban you apply through the Deputy Commissioner’s office. Apply one to two weeks ahead, keep to the approved itinerary and register at the check posts. Ruma, Rowangchhari and Thanchi in Bandarban were closed to tourists in November 2024 and are reopening gradually, so check their status first.

Getting there

Overnight buses run from Dhaka to Rangamati and Bandarban in about seven to nine hours. Or fly or take the train to Chattogram and drive two to three hours.

Tips for visiting

• Book hotels early: 14 April is also Pohela Boishakh and rooms fill fast.
• At Sangrai, water is splashed only on people who join in. Ask before taking part or taking photos.
• Ask before photographing people at prayer or at the river offerings.
• Dress modestly and take your shoes off at temples.

Visiting with us

We arrange the permissions, hotels and a guide who knows the communities, and can combine Boisabi with the hills around Bandarban, as on our Explore the Natural Beauty of Bangladesh tour. Plan your trip.

Boisabi FAQs