Rivers are one of the most useful and wonderful gifts of nature. Bangladesh has been adorned generously with a great number of rivers. From time immemorial, these rivers, have been flowing over our country graciously, making her a land of rivers. Rivers have immense influence on our economy, culture and prosperity. In brief, no other country in the world is so much surrounded, blessed, benefited and again destructed by her rivers.
Bangladesh is criss-crossed by about 290 rivers. The Padma, the Meghna, the Jamuna, the Karnaphuli are the most important ones. Besides the Bramhaputra, the Buriganga, the Shitalaksha, the Dhaleswari, the Madhumati, the Gumati and the Surma are worth mentioning. The Padma is a long, important river, which is especially reputed for the delicious "Hilsha" fish. The Meghna plays an important role in foreign communication and transportation. The Jamuna is a wide river with famous "Bangabandhu Bridge" connecting, its two sides. Though the hilly girl "Karnaphuli" is small in size, its contribution to country is really great. Most of these rivers rise from the Himalayas and fall into the Bay of Bengal.
Rivers have great influence on building up of human civilization. All the ancient civilizations were established on the bank of some important rivers and so was our civilization. The rich corn-fields of Bangladesh are the gifts of her rivers. In the rainy season, they carry silt and the silt scatters over the agricultural land. This makes the soil fertile, suitable for the production of varieties of crops. Both irrigation and manuring are done by the river-water.
Our rivers are abound with fish, which is the main source of protein in our country. Lots of people earn their livelihoods by catching and selling fish. Besides, we receive much foreign currency by exporting fish to the other countries.
People and goods can be carried from one place to another easily and cheaply through the rivers. So they're considered as one of the main means of communication in our country. Our rivers are an important source of power. A big damp has been built across the Karnaphuli to produce hydro electricity, which caters to the needs of many residences, institutions and industries.
Most of the cities, industries and trade-centres have been established in the bank of rivers so that the raw materials and products can be transported easily. and pro Besides, the beauty and glory of our rivers inspire the creativity of the people. That's why so many poets and artists have praised them through their literary works. Rabindranath Tagore was especially fascinated by the gracious Padma.
When it rains in excess, the rivers swell up and cause flood. Flood destroys houses, crops and other properties and takes away human life. This deteriorates our economy. Our rivers have an integral relationship with our life and economy. They help us grow good crops and they play havoc with the same crops. They lit the light of hope for us and they blow off the same light. We cannot survive without them and we cannot prosper because of the destructive form of them. This is indeed a strange relationship and inseparable, too.
