Md. Habibur Rahman
Bangladesh Institute of Social Research (BISR), Hasina De Palace, House No. 6/14, Block No. A, Lalmatia, Dhaka 1207, Bangladesh
Ethnobotanical Knowledge, Rural Community, Bangladesh, Biodiversity Conservation
Burichong Upazila, Comilla, Bangladesh
Conservation and Biodiversity
Medicinal Plants
2.1. Study Area. Burichong Upazila with an area of 163.76 sq. km. This area is bounded by Brahmanpara Upazila on the north, Comilla Sadar and Barura Upazilas on the south, Tripura state of India on the east, and Debidwar and Chandina Upazilas on the west. It has 37739 units of households. The Upazila supports a population of 259,265; 133,469 male and 125,796 female (population density 1609.98 per sq. km.) with a literacy rate of 49.7%. The Upazila consists of 8 Union Parishads (last stage of administrative entity) and 171 villages. The main rivers are Gomti, Gongur, Titi, and Pagli rivers; the landscape comprises the Tripura valley of India and green agricultural fields. The Upazila is more or less flooded during the rainy season, resulting in deposition of sediments that increase the productivity of land, ultimately contributing to its botanical diversity. The main occupation is agriculture (56.64%), followed by agricultural labour (12.28%), commerce (10.23%), service (8.08%), and so forth [28]. However, Burichong Upazila is considered as one of the most densely homestead forests-covered area with plantations of both indigenous and exotic species and understory covered with rich herbs and shrubs. 2.2. Research Methods. In order to document the utilization of medicinal plants, four field surveys were carried out from early July to late October 2010 in the study area, using a multistage random sampling technique. The surveys were spread across the whole Upazila at random: one in the north (Rajapur), one in the southwest (Mokam), and the other in the middle of the Upazila (Burichong), so as to get maximum information and also to cross check the information provided by the local informants during the earlier visits. From each of the three villages, 30 households (irrespective of socioeconomic condition) were selected randomly for the comprehensive study. Thus, a total of 90 households were selected. Before the household survey, casual field visits were arranged within the villages with local old people, religious leaders, and other key informants to review and document the availability of medicinal plants in the locality. Informal meetings were held in the interviewee’s home using the native language (Bengali). The household heads were the key respondents, with help from other family members when necessary. In addition, six focus group discussions (FGDs), two in each village, were arranged in the tea stalls of local market where the rural people usually get together, gossip, and interact in the evening after the daylong business. Information on the local name of plant, plant part used for curing, method of dosage, and administration was recorded. After, the interviews, collected information was cross-checked by the local herbal practitioners locally referred to as kabiraj. They had sound knowledge on medicinal plants and were therefore highly rated in the society. Respondents were interviewed using a semistructured questionnaire and focalized interview to ascertain the plant species and the parts used, for what diseases, the sources they prefer, the reasons for cultivating any plant, and so forth. The plant species used for medicine were firstly identified by local names by the help of kabiraj and old-aged persons. The scientific names were obtained by consulting the literature [29, 30]. A final list of the species used for medicinal purposes was cross-checked and prepared based on the study by Dey.
ISRN Biodiversity, Volume 2013, Article ID 369138, 10 pages
Journal