Bangladesh > Major Rivers

Rivers of Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a land of rivers. There are several rivers in this land and if you are eager to know about it, then keep on reading.

On flowing from the Himalayan source, The Brahmaputra River that passes from China, India, and Bhutan drains into the major Bay of Bengal in Bangladesh along with various other rivers. There is no doubt that Bangladesh is known for the amazing geographical features which comprise of massive rivers that flow throughout the nation. In between the Bangladesh borders lies the bottom of the water sources that come directly from the mighty Himalayan Ranges. This serves as the initial river sources which flow from various nations like Indian, Bhutan, and China which eventually passes to Bangladesh’s Bay of Bengal.

The rivers of Bangladesh are also a medium of various economic activities associated with the nation like waterway communication, agriculture, energy sources and much more. As because these are some of the rivers that play a major role in its economic growth, there is always a need for having complete knowledge regarding the major rivers those are there in Bangladesh. Let us have a look at some of them.

Major Rivers in Bangladesh

Brahmaputra River:
The Brahmaputra River is the biggest river in entire Asia and also the longest one that passes through Bangladesh. It covers a length of almost 1802 miles cutting other major nations like China, India, and Bhutan. The stretch initiates from the Kailash which is present along the northern side of the Tiber and ends in the Bay of Bengal. The people living in Assam take this river as both a blessing and curse for them as it brings flood especially during the monsoons but then again when the water leaves, it leaves immensely fertile land that is ideal for agriculture. The inhabitants of this place take complete benefit of this land by growing plants that are not only meant for the local purpose, but also for the export. Even when it has major importance for the Assamese, this river is also a major reason for surface water pollution which rises from the oil spillages especially from the nearby factories and vehicles.

Ganges River:
The Ganges begins again from the mighty Himalayan Mountains along with is also accompanied by the three different courses like lower, middle and upper courses. It is known for its huge water basin and which stretches over 1569 miles and cutting via Bangladesh and India. In all these years the areas surrounding it have been affected by floods which again has a lot of negative impact on the inhabitants who are living nearby. Even when the flood has so many disadvantages to the land and inhabitants, it again comes with the blessing of making the land immensely fertile and ideal for cropping.

Surma River:
Surma River is also popular as Barak River that originates from the mountains of Manipur that is on Northern India. This river flows from Eastern Bangladesh that again covers a distance of 559 miles. The river ends on Kishoreganj district and there you can find the confluence of River Meghna and River Kushiyara. The river meanders in a way that it faces the environment detriments which is passed by nearby inhabitants like pollution causing and human settlement.

Atrai River:
This Atrai River flows from the West Bengal along with flows via Dinajpur District prior to fanning in the Chalaan Beel. The river measures to a length of approximately 242 miles. Despite being one of the major causes of flood in various areas, this also serves as the perennial fishing ground.

Mahananda River:
The origination of this river is from the Darjeeling district in West Bengal. This is also said to be originating from the heart of mighty Himalayas. The total measure is 224 miles and is flowing from both Bangladesh and India.

Raidak River:
River Raidak functions as the tributary of the Brahmaputra River. it measures to a length of almost 230 miles. Even when it has small length, the river cuts through India, Bangladesh, and Bhutan.

Teesta River:
This is again one of the major rivers of Bangladesh that starts from the Himalayas and goes down to forming the boundary within the West Bengal and Sikkim. It measures to a length of 192 miles and the stretch passes through India. Later on, it again gets merged with the Brahmaputra River.

Meghna River:
River Meghna flows from the convergence of Kushitara and the Surma Rivers. This is said to be one of the prime rivers present in Bangladesh. The total area of this river stretch measures around 164 miles which ends in the Bay of Bengal. The delta of this river comprises of the four major moths like Hatia, Shahbazpur, Tetulia, and Bamni.

Karnaphuli River:
The Karnaphuli River starts from the Lushai hills and stretches to a distance of almost 168 miles. The famous Kaptai Dam located on this river is the major reason for the immense production of the hydroelectric power. This is the major source of electricity in the Chittagong district.

Bottom Line

Both India and Bangladesh share almost 54 different rivers. The Joint River Communication was being established just to simplify the tensions that might occur between these two nations along with their shared waters. This was initiated during the year 1972 just after Bangladesh was considered as the own sovereign nation.

In recent times, a dispute has been seen in Teesta River. The bilateral signed in the year 1996 between these two nations along with was also established the water sharing over the Ganges for more than 30 long years. Primarily an ad-hoc of water sharing agreement was made during the year 1983 within both the nations where Bangladesh was given 36% and India was provided with 36% of water flow.

Being a country that has so many rivers within it makes it a great destination to look at. So if you are planning to visit Bangladesh, don’t miss visiting these few rivers and get more details from the inhabitants themselves.