Chhatak Historic Aerial Ropeway & Lime Port

Chhatak Historic Aerial Ropeway and Lime Port (Chhatak Cement Town & Surma Riverfront) is one of the most historically unique industrial heritage, riverport, and mountain-view destinations in Bangladesh, situated in Chhatak upazila of Sunamganj district, along the majestic curves of the Surma River, roughly 32 kilometres northwest of Sylhet city.

Founded in 1937 during the British colonial era, the Chhatak Cement Factory is the oldest commercial cement manufacturing plant in Bangladesh. To transport raw limestone from the quarries of the East Khasi Hills in Meghalaya, India, across the international border into the factory kilns in Chhatak, British and Scottish engineers constructed the legendary 17-kilometre International Aerial Ropeway (Ropeway Line).

Suspended on colossal steel trestle towers rising high above rivers, forests, and international border plains, the historic aerial ropeway transported continuous cable cars (buckets) laden with limestone straight from India into Bengal, standing as a triumphant feat of early 20th-century industrial engineering.

Chhatak is also a bustling traditional riverport where hundreds of wooden cargo barges and trawlers transport mountain sand, boulders, and limestone along the shimmering Surma River. Shaded by colonial administrative bungalows overlooking the rolling blue mountains of Meghalaya across the border, Chhatak is a fascinating off-the-beaten-path destination.

In 1937, the Assam-Bengal Cement Company was established at Chhatak by prominent industrialist Sir Rajendranath Mookerjee to utilize the abundant limestone deposits of the Khasi and Jaintia Hills.

The 17-kilometre international aerial bicable ropeway was engineered by British specialists, operating across the international border for decades as a unique cross-border industrial conveyor.

Chhatak has served since the medieval era as the chief riverine gateway connecting the Surma valley with Sunamganj haor wetlands and Assam.

The industrial township preserves vintage British colonial bungalows, vintage locomotives, and riverside jetties.

November to February: Cool winter weather; ideal for walking the riverbanks, inspecting industrial heritage, and clear mountain vistas.

July to October: Monsoon season; full flowing Surma River and roaring green mountain cascades across the border.

Late Afternoon (4:00 PM – 6:00 PM): Best time for golden sunset reflections on the Surma River.