Published :
Updated :
For all latest news, follow The Financial Express Google News channel.
There are a total of 1,008 rivers in the country and more than 20 of them flow through each district of the country while a maximum of 97 rivers flow through Sunamganj district.
This was revealed at a seminar titled 'Rivers of Bangladesh: Definition and Numbers', organised by the commission at the CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka Sunday.
Former secretary Syed Margub Morshed was present as the chief at the programme with the commission Chairman Manjur A Chowdhury in the chair.
Former hydrologist of the commission Akhtaruzzaman Talukdar presented a keynote paper explaining the process of determining the number and definition of rivers in the country.
Mr. Akhtaruzzaman in his keynote paper said: "The country may lack oil, gas, gold or other assets, but it has valuable rivers that are never counted as assets," he pointed out.
Referring to the number of rivers, he said, "Padma and Ichamati, both with lengths exceeding 300 kilometres. Ichhamati is the name of 11 rivers. These names are familiar in various places.
Five rivers flow for more than 280 kilometres. There are 9 rivers with lengths between 200 and 279 kilometres. Some 42 rivers measure between 100 and 199 kilometres. Five rivers are less than 100 kilometres."
"Some 480 rivers are found with lengths ranging from 10 to 99 kilometres. There are 376 rivers ranging from one to nine kilometres in length. The longest river in the country is Padma, with a length of 341 kilometres. There are 41 rivers less than 1.0 kilometre in length. There is no information available about the lengths of 55 rivers in the country," he said.
In his speech, Dr Manjur Ahmed expressed his criticism over acts of illegal sand extraction from river Meghna in Chandpur and alleged indolent of influencial quarters of the governmnet.
Speaking at the function, Syed Margub Morshed thanked the country's judiciary as it directed the formation of the commission earlier.
However, he called for strengthening the National River Conservation Commission to save the country's rivers as well as the livelihoods of riverine people.