<h2> Rivers of Bangladesh</h2>

                                                   Boatman Sails in the River

Bangladesh is a land of rivers. Many of these rivers are wide and long. The small rivers rise in the rains and dry up in winter. All these rivers can be used for various purposes. There are hundreds of big and small rivers in our country. The principal rivers are the Padma, The Meghna, the Dhaleswari. The Teesta, the Mahananda, the Madhumati, the Kacha, the Pashur, the Surma, the Karnafuli etc. The beautiful cornfields of Bangladesh are the gifts of her rivers. The rivers bring enough silt and make the soil fertile. Both irrigation and manuring are done by these rivers.

Little Canoe keeps in the River Shore

            Our rivers are a great source of wealth. They are the home for many kinds of fishes, birds and plants that are rich in food value. The Padma, the Meghna, the Kacha and some other rivers are the home of the proverbial Hilsha fish. The fish caught in the rivers meets our local need and we also export fish to foreign countries. Fishing solves our unemployment problem to some great extent. A lot of birds like cranes, storks, sandpipers, ducks, Punkauris etc. live in the rivers. They make nice, enjoyable dishes. Our rivers also abound in other water foods like ‘shaluk,’ ‘lotus,’ ‘paniphal’ etc.                              

               Our rivers are also the source of energy. Those that have a strong current can produce electricity. The Karnafully Hydro-Electric Project is an instant of this. We can use the rivers especially the swift flowing ones in the north-east region to produce more electricity. Our rivers are important for transport too. The few roads and railways that we have are not adequate for our transport. Moreover, the building of roads and railways on our soft and marshy land is not easy. Hence transport by river is much easier and cheaper than land by land in our country. Again, on the banks of the many towns and business centers have grown up.