Rivers
Atrai River
Atrai River (also
spelt as Atreyee) (Bengali: আত্রাই/আত্রেই নদী) flows in West Bengal and northern parts of Bangladesh. In ancient times
the river was called Atrei and finds a mention in the Mahabharata. It is linked
with Karatoya River. It originates in West Bengal and then after flowing
through Dinajpur District of Bangladesh, it enters India again. It passes
through Kumarganj and Balurghat community development blocks in Dakshin
Dinajpur district. The river then re-enters Bangladesh. It splits into two
rivers - the Gabura and the Kankra in Dinajpur district. It crosses the Barind
Tract and flows into Chalan Beel. The river serves as a perennial source of
fishing, even though it is often the cause of flooding in many areas during monsoons.
Total length of this river is approximately 240 miles (390 km). Maximum depth
of river is 99 feet (30 m).
Balu River
The Balu is a river
of Bangladesh. It runs mainly through the swamps of Beel Belai and that east of
Dhaka, joining the Shitalakshya near Demra. During the flood season, the Balu
is of importance for local drainage and access by small boats.
Bangali River
The Bangali River
(Bengali: বাঙালি নদী) is one of the main rivers in the northern part of Bangladesh (commonly
known as North Bengal). As of 2007, the river is in the news because of the
possibility that it might merge with the Jamuna River, which could lead to
major changes in the geography of the region. The Bangali River originates as a
distributary of Teesta River in Nilphamari District. The river flows as the
Ghaghot River from its source to Gaibandha, where it splits into two branches –
one moves towards the west as the "Ghaghot" and empties into the
Karatoya River at Sherpur, Bogra District; the other section of the Bangali River
flows to the south and subsequently breaks into two sections in Bogra. These
two sections join the Jamuna and Karatoa. There are a number of distributaries
of the Bangali River such as the Belal, Manosh, Modhukhali, Ichamoti, and Volka
among others. These distributaries often dry up in the winter season.
Baral River
Baral (Bengali: বড়াল) river is one of
the offshoots of the Ganges, starts its journey at Charghat Upazila or Rajshahi
District of Bangladesh. The Baral flows through Natore and Pabna meets with the
Gumani at the east of Bangura and finally meets with the Hurasagar after
joining with the Karatoya south of Shahjadpur. The river is approximately 147
kilometers long and 410 feet (120 m) wide and 20 feet (6.1 m) deep on average.
The river receives water from the Ganges only in the monsoon season. But it
maintains its flow throughout the year with local runoff water and water from
chalan beel. Its drainage area is about 230 km². Some important places located
on the banks of the Baral are: Charghat; Baraigram, Bagatipara, Gurudaspur,
Chatmohor, Bhangura and Bera. The Baral Bridge is located on this river at
Bhangura Upazila.
Biskhali River
The Biskhali is a
river of Bangladesh. The river flows through Barguna District.
Brahmaputra River
The Brahmaputra,
also called Tsangpo-Brahmaputra, is a trans-boundary river and one of the major
rivers of Asia. From its origin in southwestern Tibet as the Yarlung Zangbo
River, it flows across southern Tibet to break through the Himalayas in great
gorges and into Arunachal Pradesh where it is known as Dihang. It flows
southwest through the Assam Valley as Brahmaputra and south through Bangladesh
as the Jamuna. There it merges with the Ganges to form a vast delta. About
1,800 miles (2,900 km) long, the river is an important source for irrigation
and transportation. Its upper course was long unknown, and its identity with
the Yarlung Tsangpo was only established by exploration in 1884-86. This river
is often called Tsangpo-Brahmaputra river. The average depth of river is 124
feet (38 m) and maximum depth is 380 feet (120 m). In Bangladesh the river
merges with the Ganges and splits into two: the Padma and Meghna River. When it
merges with the Ganges it forms the world's largest delta, the Sunderbans. The
Sunderbans is known for tigers, crocodiles and mangroves. While most Indian and
Bangladeshi rivers bear female names, this river has a rare male name, as it
means "son of Brahma" in Sanskrit (putra means "son"). The
Brahmaputra is navigable for most of its length. The lower part reaches are
sacred to Hindus. The river is prone to catastrophic flooding in spring when
the Himalayan snows melt. It is also one of the few rivers in the world that
exhibit a tidal bore.
Bura Gauranga River
The Bura Gauranga
River is located in the Patuakhali district in Bangladesh.
Buriganga River
The Buriganga River
(Bangla: বুড়িগঙ্গা Buŗigônga "Old Ganges") is the main river flowing beside Dhaka
city, capital of Bangladesh. The average depth is 39 feet (12 m) and maximum
depth is 93 feet (28 m). In the distant past, a course of the Ganges river used
to reach the Bay of Bengal through the Dhaleshwari river. This course gradually
shifted and ultimately lost its link with the main channel of the Ganges and
was renamed as the Buriganga.
Dakatua River
The Dakatua River or
Dakatia is a river of Bangladesh and India. The length of the Dakatia is about
207 km. It enters the country from India in Comilla district from Tripura state
and is a tributary of the Meghna River. The source of the river is at
Chauddagram Khal, which connects it with the Little Feni. The river joins the
Meghna at Raipur
Dhaleshwari River
The Dhaleshwari
River (Bangla: ধলেশ্বরী Dhôleshshori) is a 160-km-long distributary of the Jamuna River in
central Bangladesh. It starts off the Jamuna near the northwestern tip of
Tangail District. After that it divides into two branches: the north branch
retains the name Dhaleshwari and merges with the other branch, the Kaliganga
River at the southern part of Manikganj District. Finally the merged flow meets
the Shitalakshya River near Narayanganj District. This combined flow goes
southwards to merge into the Meghna River. Average depth of river is 122 feet
(37 m) and maximum depth is 265 feet (81 m).
The Dhaleshwari is
presently a branch of the Jamuna but in the past was probably part of the main
course of the Padma. The course of the Padma has changed considerably during
the period 1600 to 2000 AD. It is difficult to trace accurately the various
channels through which it has flowed. The probability is that it flowed past
Rampur Boalia, through Chalan Beel, the Dhaleshwari and Buriganga rivers, past
Dhaka into the Meghna estuary. In the 18th century, the lower course of the
river flowed further south. About the middle of the 19th century the main
volume of the channel flowed through this southern channel which came to be
known as Kirtinasa. Gradually the Padma adopted its present course
Dhepa River
The Dhepa is a small
river in northern Bangladesh. The river originates from the Atrai river in
Mohanpur and falls into the Punarbhaba. The length of this river is 40 km.
Feni River
Feni River (Bangla: ফেনী নদী Feni Nodi) is a
river in the Indian state of Tripura and southeastern Bangladesh. It is a
trans-boundary river with an on-going dispute. Feni River originates in South
Tripura district and flows through Sabroom town and then enters Bangladesh. It
enters Bangladesh at Belchhari in Matiranga Upazila of Khagrachari District. It
flows through Ramgarh Upazila (Khagrachari), Fatikchhari Upazila (Chittagong)
and then flows along the border of Chittagong (Mirsharai Upazila) and Feni
(Chhagalnaiya Upazila, Feni Sadar Upazila, Sonagazi Upazila) districts and
discharges into the Bay of Bengal near Sonagazi. The length of the river is 108
km. The river forms the international boundary at some points. Muhuri River,
also called Little Feni, from Noakhali District joins it near its mouth. The
river is navigable throughout the year by small boats up to Ramgarh, some 80 km
upstream. A 3.41-km long closure dam was constructed across the river in
1965-66 at a cost of 593.5 million takas to divert the flow through the Feni
regulator. It is located between Mirsharai and Sonagazi, in the Chittagong and
Feni districts respectively. It was constructed to prevent saline water
intrusion from downstream and retain fresh water upstream for use in the Muhuri
Irrigation Project.
Gorai-Madhumati
River
The Gorai-Madhumati
River (Bangla: গড়াই-মধুমতি Gôŗai-Modhumoti) is one of the longest rivers in Bangladesh and a
tributary of the Ganges.
Halda River
Halda River is a
river in South-Eastern Bangladesh. It originates at the Badnatali Hill Ranges
in Ramgarh Upazila in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, flows through Fatikchhari
Upazila, Hathazari Upazila, Raozan Upazila and Chittagong Kotwali Thana, and
falls into the Karnaphuli River. The 81 km long river has a very turbulent
tributary, the Dhurung River, which joins Purba Dhalai about 48.25 km
downstream. The river is navigable by big boats 29 km into it (up to Nazirhat)
and by small boats 16-24 km further (up to Narayanhat). The Halda river is also
famous for breeding pure Indian carp. This is the only pure Indian carp breding
field of Bangladesh, perhaps in South Asia.
Jaldhaka River
The Jaldhaka River
(Nepali: जलढका Jalḍhaka) is a trans-boundary river, with a length of 192 kilometres,
that originates in southeastern Sikkim in the eastern Himalayas and flows
through the Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar districts of West Bengal, India. At that
point the river enters Bangladesh through the Lalmonirhat District and then
joins with the Dharla River until the Dharla debouches into the Brahmaputra
River near the Kurigram District. Due to the river's wandering over several
international borders, only a small length of the river lies within Bangladesh.
Jamuna River
The Jamuna River
(Bangla: যমুনা Jomuna) is one of the three main rivers of Bangladesh. It is the main
channel of the Brahmaputra River when it flows out of India into Bangladesh.
The Jamuna flows south, ending its independent existence as it joins the Padma
River (Pôdda) near Goalundo Ghat. Merged with the Padma (Pôdda), it meets the
Meghna River near Chandpur. Its waters then flow into the Bay of Bengal as the
Meghna River. The river's average depth is 395 feet (120 m) and maximum depth
is 1,088 feet (332 m). The Jamuna was a barrier in establishing a direct road
link between capital Dhaka and northern part of Bangladesh better known as
Rajshahi Division until 1996. This was mitigated by the completion of the
Jamuna Multi-Purpose Bridge.
Karnaphuli River
Karnaphuli (Bangla: কর্ণফুলি Kôrnophuli) (also
spelt Karnafuli) is a 667 metres (2,190 ft) wide river in the south-eastern
part of Bangladesh. Originating from the Lushai hills in Mizoram, India, it
flows 270 km (170 miles) southwest through Chittagong Hill Tracts and
Chittagong into the Bay of Bengal. A large hydroelectric power plant using
Karnaphuli river was built in the Kaptai region during the 1960s. The mouth of
the river hosts Chittagong sea port, the main port of Bangladesh. The depth of
river is 102 metres (330 ft), in average and 147 metres (480 ft), on maximum.
Kaptai dam
The Kaptai Dam is
the location of the Karnaphuli Hydro-power station, the only hydro-electric
power plant in Bangladesh, was constructed in Kaptai in 1962. An earth-filled
dam on the Karnaphuli River, the Kaptai Dam created the Kaptai Lake, which acts
as the water reservoir for the hydropower station. The power plant produces a
total of 230 megawatts of electricity.
Karotoa River
The Karotoa River is
a river of Bangladesh. The depth of river is approximately 6 feet (1.8 m), in
origin of Mahasthangarh, Bogra.
Khowai River
Khowai River
originates from the eastern part of the Atharamura Hills of Hill Tripura in
India. Flowing west and northward, the Khowai enters Bangladesh at Balla in
Sylhet district. The river further flows beside the east of Habiganj town and
debouches into the Meghna near the mouth of the Kalni at Nabiganj.
Kopothakho River
The Kopothakho River
is a river of Bangladesh.
Kushiyara River
The Kushiyara River
is one of the many rivers in Bangladesh that crosses international boundaries.
It originates in the northern hill country of Assam, India and runs along the
border of the Indian states of Nagaland and Manipur before entering Bangladesh.
The total length of the Kushiyara is about 161 km. The average width of the
river is 830 feet (250 m) and in the rainy season the mean depth of the Kushiyara
reaches up to 33 feet (10 m), the maximum depth of river is 40 feet (12 m). The
river carries a huge amount of water as well as sediments from Karimganj in
Assam and the hilly areas of Hill Tripura. The highest and lowest discharges
have been measured at Sherpur amounting to 3,700 cumecs and 33 cu mecs
respectively.
Mahananda River
The Mahananda River
(Bangla: মহানন্দা Môhanônda) is a river the originates in the district of Darjeeling in
West Bengal in the Himalayas. It flows through northern part of West Bengal,
Bihar in India and Bangladesh. It again enters India in the Malda district of
West Bengal before entering into Bangladesh to join the Ganges near the town of
Chapai Nawabganj. This river is mainly fed by rainwater. During summer or
winter it has very low water level and during monsoon it carries large amount
of rainwater often causing floods. Some major places by the side of the river
are Siliguri and Malda both in West Bengal, India. In Bangladesh this rivers
total length is 36 km.
Manu River, Tripura
The Manu River
originates in the mountains of Tripura (India) and plunges downward through
dramatic gorges and steep escarpments until it reaches a broad plain where it
becomes slow and meandering, going northward until it reaches the Sylhet plains.
The river enters Bangladesh through Kulaura Upazila in Maulvi Bazar district,
when it changes its course to northwest and north to meet the Kushiyara at
Manumuk
Meghna River
The Meghna River
(Bengali: মেঘনা নদী) is an important river in Bangladesh, one of the three that forms the
Ganges Delta, the largest on earth fanning out to the Bay of Bengal. The Meghna
is formed inside Bangladesh by the joining of different rivers originating from
the hilly regions of eastern India. The river meets Padma River in Chandpur
District. The river ultimately flows into the Bay of Bengal in Bhola District.
The Meghna is the
widest river among those that flow completely inside the boundaries of
Bangladesh. At one point near Bhola, Meghna is 12 km wide. In its lower reaches
this river follows almost a straight line in its path. Despite its very calm
and quiet look, this river is the cause of many deaths every year. The place
near Chandpur is a very dangerous one. The river's average depth is 1,012 feet
(308 m) and maximum depth is 1,620 feet (490 m) The Meghna is formed inside
Bangladesh by the joining of different rivers originating from the hilly
regions of eastern India. The Meghna is formed inside Bangladesh above Bhairab
Bazar by the combination of the Surma and Kushiyara rivers. Down to Chandpur,
Meghna is hydrographically referred to as the Upper Meghna. After the Padma
joins, it is referred to as the Lower Meghna. Near Muladhuli in Barisal
district, the Safipur River is an offshoot of the Surma that creates one of the
main rivers in South Bengal. 1.5 km wide, this river is one of the widest in
the country as well. This river is the widest in Bangladesh and one of the
widest of the world.
At Ghatalpur of
Brahmanbaria District, the river Titas emerges from Meghna and after circling
two large bends by 240 km, falls into the Meghna again near Nabinagar Upazila.
Titas forms as a single stream but braids into two distinct streams which
remain separate before re-joining the Meghna.
Muhuri River
Muhuri River
(Bangla: মুহুরী Muhuri) one of the trans-boundary rivers of Bangladesh. The river takes
its rise on the Lushai hills of Tripura in India and enters Bangladesh through
Parshuram upazila of Feni district after flowing over the hilly regions of
India. As such the river is wild in nature and often causes flash floods. At
some places it demarcates the boundary between India and Bangladesh and falls
into the Bay of Bengal after dividing the Feni and the Chittagong district. The
Muhuri is not wide enough and it is only 150 to 200 metres wide. But the width
increases towards the sea. Close to the sea, the river is under tidal
influence. There is a closure dam on the river about 4 km upstream from the
estuary for irrigation purpose and a 20-vent regulator has also been constructed.
During high tide, the dam along with the regulator controls the influx of
saline water. This river is also a line of contention between the two
neighbouring countries, India and Bangladesh. The border of the two nation
(India-Bangladesh) according to Indira - Mujib treaty is defined as the mid of
the river. There is a huge and advanced dam in one side of it (this part
belongs to India, Belonia- Bankar area). Thus in the rainy seasons the flood
water cannot cause much disaster in this portion, whereas most of the times it
causes a menace in the lower areas. In course of time the river engulfed a huge
area of Bangladesh provience, increasing the boundary of Indian part. This is
the main reason of border dispute.
Naf River
Naf River (নাফ নদী) is a river marking
the border of Bangladesh and Myanmar. It is an elongated estuary in the extreme
southeast of Cox's Bazar district dividing the district from Arakan, Myanmar.
It rises in the Arakan hills on the southeastern borders of the district and
flows into the Bay of Bengal. Its width varies from 1.61 km to 3.22 km. The
river is influenced by tide. Akyab in Myanmar is on the eastern bank and Teknaf
upazila of Cox's Bazar district is on the western bank of the river. The Naf
River is deepest. Is average depth is 128 feet (39 m) and maximum depth is 400
feet (120 m).
Padma River
The Padma (Bengali: পদ্মা Pôdda) is a major
trans-boundary river in Bangladesh. It is the main distributary of the Ganges
(Bengali: গঙ্গা Gôngga), which originates in the Himalaya. The Padma enters Bangladesh
from India near Chapai Nababganj. It meets the Jamuna (Bengali: যমুনা Jomuna) near Aricha
and retains its name, but finally meets with the Meghna (Bengali: মেঘনা) near Chandpur and
adopts the name 'Meghna' before flowing into the Bay of Bengal. Rajshahi, a
major city in western Bangladesh, is situated on the north bank of the Padma.
Its maximum depth is 1,571 feet (479 m) and average depth is 968 feet (295 m).
Punarbhaba River
The Punarbhaba
(Bengali: পুনরভব নদী) is a river of Bangladesh and West Bengal in India, of total length
about 160 km and a width of 3–8 km. It originates from the lowlands of
Thakurgaon District. The river's upper part is a few kilometres west of Atrai.
It flows through Gangarampur and Tapan community development blocks of Dakshin
Dinajpur district of West Bengal. After flowing to the south, this river meets
with the Dhepa River. Ultimately it flows into the Ganges. The length of this
river is 160 km (99 mi).
Pasur River
The Pusur River is a
river in southwestern Bangladesh and a tributary of the Ganges.
Shitalakshya River
Shitalakshya River
(Bengali: শীতলক্ষ্যা নদী Shitalokkha Nodi) (also known as Lakhya River) is a distributary of the
Brahmaputra. In its initial stages it flows in a southwest direction and then
east of the city of Narayanganj in central Bangladesh until it merges with the
Dhaleswari near Kalagachhiya. A portion of its upper course is known as Banar
River. The river is about 110 km long and at it widest, near Narayangani, it is
300 meters in width. Its highest discharge has been measured at 2,600 cusec at
Demra. It remains navigable year round. The river flows through Ghazipur
forming its border with Narsingdi for some distance and then through
Narayanganj. The river's maximum depth is 70 feet (21 m) and average depth is
33 feet (10 m). The length of this river is 110 km (68 mi).
Surma River
The Surma River
(Bengali: সুরমা নদী Shurma Nodi) is a major river in Bangladesh, part of the Surma-Meghna
River System. It starts when the Barak River from northeast India divides at
the Bangladesh border into the Surma and the Kushiyara rivers. It ends in
Kishoreganj District, above Bhairab Bazar, where the two rivers rejoin to form
the Meghna River. The waters from the river ultimately flow into the Bay of
Bengal. The average depth of river is 282 feet (86 m) and maximum depth is 550
feet (170 m).
Teesta River
The River Teesta or
Tista (Nepali: टिस्टा खोला TisTa Khola, is said to be the lifeline of the Indian state of Sikkim,
flowing for almost the entire length of the state and carving out verdant
Himalayan temperate and tropical river valleys. The emerald-coloured river then
forms the border between Sikkim and West Bengal before joining the Brahmaputra
as a tributary in Bangladesh. The river originates from Cholamo Lake at an
elevation of 5,330 m (17,487 ft) above sea level in the Himalayas. This lake
lies to the north of the Donkia pass near Shetschen, where the summit of the
pass is about eight kilometres north-east of Darjeeling.
The Teesta River is
then fed by rivulets which arise in the Thangu, Yumthang and Donkia-La ranges.
The river then flows past the town of Rangpo where it forms the border between
Sikkim and West Bengal up to Teesta Bazaar. At Teesta Suspension Bridge, which
joins Kalimpong with Darjeeling, the river is met by its main tributary, the
Rangeet River. At this point, it changes course southwards flowing entirely
into West Bengal. The river hits the plains at Sevoke, where it is spanned by
the Coronation Bridge which links the north east states to the rest of India.
The river then courses its way to Jalpaiguri and then to Rangpur District of
Bangladesh, before finally merging with the mighty Brahmaputra at Fulcherry.
Titas River
Titas River (Bangla:
তিতাস Titash) is a trans-boundary river of south-eastern Bangladesh. It
originates in the state of Tripura in India where it is known as Haora River in
Bengali and Saidra in the local Kokborok language. Flowing near Agartala,
(India), it enters Bangladesh through Akhaura Upazila in the Brahmanbaria District
of Bangladesh, then merges with the Meghna River to the south near Ashuganj.
The length of the river is about 98 km. There is another river of the same name
which starts as a distributary of the Meghna and flows back into it.
Turag River
The Turag River
(Bengali: তুরাগ নদী Turag Nɔdī; IPA: [T̪uraɡ Nɔd̪i]) is the upper tributary of the
Buriganga, a major river in Bangladesh. The Turag originates from the Bangshi
River, the latter an important tributary of the Dhaleshwari River, flows
through Gazipur and joins the Buriganga at Mirpur in Dhaka District. It is
navigable by boat all year round.
Exemplifying the
riverine character of Dhaka, the Turag is abundant in fish but suffers from
acute water pollution. While attempts have been made to marginally widen the
river, the majority of industry has made little effort to follow environmental
law and the water has become visibly discolored.
