The tropical moist deciduous forests of Bangladesh locally known as sal forests predominantly contain sal (Shorea robusta Gaertn. f.). It covers about 110 thousand hectares ofland and has a wide but interrupted distribution. There is scant record on the flora and vegetation ofsal forests from Bangladesh. About 65 percent of sal forest is highly degraded. The present work is a first attempt to document the woody flora of sal forests of Bangladesh. In this paper a general description ofthese forests containing landscape, soils, climate, forest types, vegetation, floristics and diversity has been given. The woody taxa enumerated including three monocotyledonous families (Gramineae, Liliaceae and Palmae) number about 260 species under 160 genera comprising of56 families. Out ofthese 260 taxa trees,shrubs and woody climbers are represented by about 133, 77 and 50 species respectively. Leguminosae ranks top of the list. Euphorbiaceae and Rubiaceae occupy the next positions. About 17 families are represented bysinglewoody taxa only. Floristic composition varies from area to area. The conservation needs have been emphasized.