Why Is Barishal’s Traditional Water Trade Vanishing?

 

Barishal, popularly referred to in the area as the "Venice of the East," was a thriving river trade town in southern Bangladesh. Miles of river and canal linked outlying villages to market towns and jute, rice, and fish were carried on launches and wooden boats. Waterways were the lifeblood of the economy for centuries, defining its character, source of livelihood, and culture. This centuries-old dependence on river trade made Barishal a lone exception among business centers in Bangladesh.

Barishal's location on the major rivers such as the Kirtankhola, Arial Khan, and Tentulia provided it with an earlier natural strategic position in inland transportation. The rivers linked Barishal to Dhaka and other districts and facilitated the free movement of bulk products such as rice, jute, fish, and timber. Rivers were highways prior to the advent of the system of roads and hence facilitated trade as faster and cheaper. This network allowed Barishal to thrive as a central distribution node, integrating rural producers with national and local markets.

Road construction, highways, and road transport corridors have minimized the dependence of Barishal on rivers considerably. With improved and faster road linkages with Dhaka and other districts, transporters and passengers increasingly choose lorries and buses in preference to boats and launches. Mega projects such as the Padma Bridge have further tilted the movement towards land routes. Consequently, their traditional river ports, boat facilities, and waterborne trade networks depreciated, rendering the formerly busy water routes significantly underutilized and economically dormant.

The rivers and canals of Barishal are getting non-navigable rapidly through excessive siltation and lack of dredging at regular intervals. Upstream erosion and unchecked construction have led to increased natural sedimentation, clogging waterways and rendering them shallow for boats to navigate. Some of the small canals are becoming stagnating drains or drying up. In the absence of proper river maintenance and management, life-enabling transport corridors are disappearing, and water trade is becoming more difficult and less reliable for commercial and regional use across the region.

Infiltration into the water bodies of Barishal is an emerging threat to its business based on water. Politicians, businesses, and local institutions illegally occupy riverbanks and canals, and the government does little to stop them. Illegal constructions, houses, and shops now clog natural flow of water, shrinking rivers' depth and breadth. Not only do illegal occupations hinder navigation, but also increasingly pose threats to flooding and waterlogging, further undermining the region's once thriving water transport and economic system.

Barishal's old floating markets and launch operations, which were the hub of indigenous trade and day-to-day life, are declining. Most of the colorful bazaars on boats have disappeared or exist with barely any activity. Periodic launch runs bringing outer tracts to the city have been cut or given up because few go by launch and nothing is serviced. As road transport takes over, waterborne services are not attended to or invested in, and a much prized cultural and economic heritage goes to waste.

Climate change and environmental degradation are taking a major toll on Barishal river trade. Domestic waste, industrial effluence, and untreated sewage are polluting rivers and making it unsafe and unhealthy to navigate. Climate change, especially rainfall and temperature variability, is changing the water level also some rivers overflow perilously during monsoons, while others shrink in the dry season. The changes are limiting boat movement, causing infrastructural loss, and augmenting trade risk. Without effective adaptation to climate and pollution management, Barishal's already vulnerable water economy becomes further weakened by environmental stress.

River terminals and ports of Barishal languish from long-term underinvestment from government and policy neglect. Obsolete infrastructure, vacant docks, and substandard facilities render water transport inefficient and unappealing. Some money goes into improving or expanding roads and bridges but minimal money is allocated to river routes. Integrated planning to revive inland waterways as part of regional planning does not happen. This lack of political and financial investment is hastening the decay of Barishal's erstwhile thriving river trade system.

Urbanization and evolving trade patterns are moving Barishal's economic interest away from its rivers. New commercial areas, warehouses, and transportation infrastructure are being constructed inland from historic riverbanks, as the city grows. Road-based supply chains now service modern markets, diminishing the waterways' role to commerce. Riverside trading areas remain either empty or used for non-commerce. This climatic change, induced by urban expansion and property development, has destabilized the historic relationship between Barishal's rivers and economy.

The collapse of river trade has ruined Barishal's riverine population. Formerly water-based livelihoods of boatmen, small traders, and fishermen are now unemployed and destitute. They have been forced to forsake customary livelihoods and find unstable jobs in the city. Old boats rust unmoored, and floating markets remain deserted. They feel neglected because their voices go unheard among policymakers. Their experience is a reflection not only of economic deprivation, but also disintegration of social and cultural fabric of Barishal.

Outsourcing Barishal's water trade is weakening the overall regional economy. Earlier, river roads used to ensure cheap carriage of agricultural and commercial produce, enhancing rural-urban links. Trade is made inefficient and expensive, especially for the peripheral areas, as such lowers. Small-scale producers are unable to reach markets, lowering competitiveness and earnings. Slow-down affects ancillary industries such as boat making and river tourism. Without the influx of waterborne trade, Barishal will fall behind in regional economic integration and development.

To restore Barishal's sluggish water commerce, policy initiative has to be across-the-board. Regular and organized dredging of rivers and canals must become a priority to restore navigability. Severe legal recourse has to be instituted to stop encroachment and ensure waterway integrity. In addition, selective investment for river port modernization, terminals, and ancillary facilities needs to be offered by the government. Retention of fiscal incentives to traders on waterways and transport operators will induce resumed commercial activity. Lastly, measures need to be taken to conserve historic floating markets and market river-based intangible cultural heritage within an integrated economic and environmental policy.


MD. Noor Hamza Peash is an LL.B. Student
in Department of Law, World University
of Bangladesh, Dhaka.