Photo Feature

A River Runs Dry

Zahedul I Khan

The Jamuna Multi-Purpose Bridge has been considered a dream come true, linking the capital with the northern part of Bangladesh. The river that this magnificent structure bridges is one of the three main rivers of the country that is the main channel of the Brahmaputra that flows south to merge with the great Padma and then meets the Meghna in Chandpur, eventually reaching its destination into the Bay of Bengal. But what has happened to the mighty Jamuna, the waters of which seemed to have no beginning and no end? It is a shocking sight, the drying up of the Jamuna. A long walk down the miles of sandy char areas that have risen out of the riverbed indicates the Jamuna's gradual decline as continuous human interference with the water's flow has resulted in her present humiliation. Can the gorgeous Jamuna that provides the livelihood of thousands of people and countless aquatic species, be saved?

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