Published: 11:39 PM, 24 September 2026
World Rivers Day: We Have Rivers, But How Alive Are They?
Shafiqul Islam Khokon
Rivers... We are all familiar with rivers. A river is one of nature’s most beautiful creations. A river originates from mountains, springs, or lakes, travels a long distance, and eventually joins the sea or a larger river. The flowing water of a river makes nature vibrant and beautiful. Bangladesh is known as a riverine country because it is home to countless rivers, including the Padma, Jamuna, Meghna, Bishkhali, Baleshwar, and Andharmanik. These rivers play an important role in the country’s agriculture, fisheries, and water transport. River water is used to irrigate farmland, while rivers provide us with various kinds of fish.
Whenever we hear the word “river,” memories of the past come to mind. The word river brings countless memories of our childhood and adolescence before our eyes. It reminds us again and again of our beloved riverine Bangladesh. One might naturally ask why I repeatedly use the phrase “comes to mind” when talking about rivers. The reason is that we generally remember past events, activities, and experiences—in other words, things that have become part of history.
Simply put, rivers are not merely sources of livelihood; they also maintain the balance of nature and the environment. Sadly, many of our rivers today seem to be gradually becoming part of history. Rivers that were once inseparable from people’s lives, livelihoods, communication, culture, and civilization have either disappeared or are facing an existential crisis. Encroachment, pollution, filling, and unplanned development activities are steadily weakening their natural flow and vitality. That is why talking about rivers repeatedly takes us back to the pages of memory. And that is precisely why I say that we remember rivers.
Rivers provide many benefits to human life. Settlements, markets, and cities grow along their banks. The beauty of rivers fascinates people and makes nature more vibrant. At times, however, river floods can also cause serious damage. Rivers are an important part of our lives. Therefore, it is our collective responsibility to protect them from pollution and preserve their natural flow.
But what are we doing to the rivers of this riverine country?
Illegal encroachment and pollution have pushed the country’s rivers into an existential crisis. And now there is a new and alarming development: rivers have become dumping grounds for human corpses. We were supposed to find fish in our rivers, but instead, we are finding human bodies. Almost every day, human bodies are being recovered from one river or another somewhere in the country. Instead of fish, corpses appear to be increasing. Rivers devastated by encroachment and pollution are now turning into dumping grounds for bodies.
Bangladesh is called a riverine country. This identity is not merely a geographical characteristic; it is deeply connected to our history, economy, agriculture, culture, and everyday life. But today an uncomfortable question stands before us: We have rivers, but how alive are they?
To understand the health of a river, it is not enough to measure only the quantity of water. We must also examine the quality of the water, whether there is year-round flow, whether fish and aquatic habitats survive, and whether the river remains connected to canals, wetlands, and floodplains. If the relationship between a river and its floodplain is severed, the river’s natural character changes. And this ultimately affects human life.
When a river dries up, farmers face irrigation shortages. When it becomes polluted, the livelihoods of fishermen suffer. When navigability declines, the economic importance of waterways decreases. When the natural flow of a river is obstructed, waterlogging can increase during the monsoon. And when rivers are encroached upon and narrowed, the space available for water flow decreases while the risks of flooding and erosion increase.
Yet there is still reason for hope. Saving our rivers does not require some miraculous new invention. What we need is to understand rivers as rivers and manage them accordingly.
First, every river needs a comprehensive river-health assessment—not merely a list of encroachments to be removed. Second, river flow, water quality, biodiversity, and the status of encroachment must be monitored regularly. Third, it is not enough to protect only the main river while disconnecting the canals, wetlands, and other water bodies connected to it. Fourth, when development projects are planned, their long-term impacts on the natural flow and ecosystems of rivers must be given priority.
Another issue is particularly important: river protection must not be treated solely as a government project. People who live alongside rivers must be made part of river management. Without considering the experiences of fishermen, farmers, boatmen, riverside residents, local administrations, environmental activists, and researchers together, it is difficult to understand the true condition of our rivers.
We often proudly say that Bangladesh is a riverine country. But preserving this identity only as a memory of the past is not enough. We must also leave behind its real meaning for future generations. It is not enough for rivers to exist on maps. There must be water in their beds, life in that water, and human communities living along their banks. Because when a river dies, we do not merely lose a watercourse; we gradually lose a part of the memory, biodiversity, economy, and way of life of an entire region.
So the question we should be asking now is not simply: How many rivers are there in Bangladesh?
The question should be: How many rivers are truly alive?
According to the latest updated information from the Bangladesh Water Development Board and the Ministry of Water Resources, Bangladesh currently has a total of 1,415 rivers and waterways. After many years, the number of rivers in this riverine country has finally been determined. But the government does not have a comprehensive statistic showing how many rivers are facing an existential crisis because of encroachment, pollution, and filling.
If such a question is now put to the government, the questioner may find the government displeased. And there may be even less courage to ask the encroachers. This is because many of these encroachers are more influential or powerful than the government itself. Those who occupy rivers and waterways are often influential—and many of them are political leaders.
There are laws, institutions, and court directives aimed at protecting the country’s rivers. Even after all this, why are our rivers still not adequately protected?
The reality is that river encroachment and pollution have not been completely stopped. Illegal structures have been removed during various campaigns, but in many cases they have returned. Structures built by occupying riverbanks, industrial waste, and unplanned urbanization continue to threaten the existence of rivers.
Over the past one or two decades, public awareness about river protection has increased. Judicial recognition of rivers as living entities, the preparation of lists of illegal encroachers, and various eviction drives had created hope among the public. Yet the reality remains far from reassuring. In many places, encroachment has resumed after eviction drives; industrial waste and plastic pollution continue; and administrative weakness in taking action against locally influential individuals is often visible.
The question, therefore, is: Why are rivers still not protected despite all these efforts?
We need sincerity, patriotism, freedom from political influence, respect for the law—and, above all, a genuine recognition of the importance of rivers for ourselves and for future generations.
The National River Conservation Commission plays an important role in river conservation, but its limitations are also clear. Although the Commission has issued recommendations and reports at various times, their implementation is not always ensured. This is because, despite having monitoring and advisory responsibilities, the Commission often lacks direct executive authority. As a result, river-protection initiatives may appear strong on paper but fail to produce the desired results on the ground.
At the same time, swift and effective legal action against river encroachment and pollution is essential. Laws are of little value if they are not properly enforced and offenders remain beyond punishment. In many cases, lengthy legal proceedings and difficulties in collecting evidence weaken efforts to protect rivers. Therefore, strengthening specialized judicial mechanisms for the speedy resolution of river-related offenses is now an urgent necessity.
Under the current circumstances, the biggest question is this: Will we view rivers as obstacles to development, or will we consider them one of the foundations of sustainable development?
Filling rivers to construct buildings or destroying water flow by dumping waste may appear profitable in the short term. But in the long term, we pay the price through floods, waterlogging, biodiversity loss, environmental disasters, and the impacts of climate change.
September 27 is World Rivers Day. On this occasion, there may be human chains, discussion meetings, and awareness programs in different places. The media will discuss rivers. Various nongovernmental development organizations and environmental groups will also organize programs. But our responsibility toward rivers must not end when the day is over.
There is a saying: if the environment survives, the country survives; if the country survives, we survive. Due to our lack of awareness, the environment is becoming increasingly polluted. The space available for human life is gradually shrinking. Everyone must come forward from their own position to protect the environment. We must take the initiative to protect rivers for our own sake. Without widespread public awareness, law enforcement alone will not achieve much success.
It is impossible to imagine a beautiful world without considering the environment. The relationship between the environment and development is not inherently contradictory. Development and environmental protection are closely interconnected. Development will not be sustainable unless the country develops while protecting its environment. Therefore, it is not enough for the government or various organizations to act alone; every member of society must contribute from their own position. Economic development must be pursued while protecting the environment.
In conclusion, I would say that just as a human being cannot survive without a heart, a country cannot survive without its rivers. Given the way our rivers are dying and the way they are crying out for help, we may one day have to face devastating consequences.
We must remember that there is no alternative to conserving our rivers if we want sustainable development in the country. Long-term planning is essential. To protect the country, safeguard the environment, and reduce the impacts of climate change, an integrated approach to river management is urgently needed.
Shafiqul Islam Khokon is a columnist and
a researcher. He can be reached at [email protected]
