Ethnobotany of the Laleng (Patra) Community in Bangladesh

Abstract

The Laleng (Patra) is a historical indigenous community in Bangladesh. They called themselves as Laleng but the name Patra/Pator has been given to them by others. 3,500 Lalengs are residing now only the hilly areas of Sylhet region in Bangladesh and a very few population are found in the Assam and Meghalayan parts of India. Laleng is renowned for the descendants of King Gaur-Govinda and later for charcoal maker. They are using surrounding plants wealth for their daily life and livelihood with conservational heritage. The present ethnobotanical investigation has been carried out the first time in the Laleng community among of the 15 different areas of 3 Upazillas of Greater Sylhet District. 112 plant species belonging to 57 plant families. 58 Plants are used in 42 human diseases and health problems, 52 as food, 11 rituals and sacred, 4 charcoal making, 13 traditional drink, 7 household materials, fish poison, needle and other purposes. Day by day Lalengs are lost their indigenous plant heritage and displaced from their origin. This paper is focusing the importance to save the local flora and to ensure the ethnobotanical wisdom of Laleng.