The total number of rivers across Bangladesh stands at 1,156, according to a preliminary draft list released after verification by the Divisional Commissioner’s office. The Ministry of Shipping has announced that the final list of rivers and canals will be published on Pohela Baishakh.
The Ministry of Shipping unveiled a draft list of rivers during an awareness seminar on river enumeration held at Pani Bhaban, Green Road, Dhaka, on Tuesday.
According to data provided by divisional commissioners, the number of rivers stands at 1,480.
However, following further verification, the total number of rivers across the country has been revised to 1,156.
Based on rivers flowing through one or more districts within divisions, the number of rivers in the eight divisions is 1,196, with 179 rivers flowing through multiple districts.
The seminar also revealed that the National River Protection Commission’s 2023 list recorded 1,008 rivers.
From this list, 224 rivers were not proposed for inclusion in the current list from field-level data.
Similarly, out of 405 rivers listed by the Bangladesh Water Development Board in 2011, 18 were excluded from field-level proposals for the current list.
The total number of rivers flowing through a single division is 1,123, with 27 rivers spanning two divisions, four rivers crossing three divisions, and two rivers flowing through four divisions.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources, emphasized the importance of accuracy, saying: “If records indicate any river names have been missed, I will instruct DCs to verify and send them to us. The list of rivers must be accurate. Our work will not end with publishing the final list on Pahela Baishakh. Next, we will include additional details such as the length, width, condition, and other characteristics of each river. The list will incorporate both official and local names of rivers.”
Brigadier General (Retd) Dr M Sakhawat Hussain, Adviser to the Ministry of Shipping, expressed concern over rising river pollution.
He said: “Pollution is increasing daily, and traders are not the sole contributors. Illegal sand dredging and construction on filled canals are causing rivers to die. These rivers must be rescued.”
He added that a list of river encroachers is being finalized, and action will be taken against polluters and occupiers.
Notably, the actual number of rivers in Bangladesh has not been accurately calculated even after half a century of independence.
Discrepancies exist between the River Research Institute’s data, the National River Commission’s records, and the Water Development Board’s reports.
Recognizing the need for a definitive account, the interim government initiated efforts to prepare an accurate list of rivers within two months following August 5.
