![BD Bangshi River](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/BD_Bangshi_River.jpg)
Turag River ( bn, তুরাগ নদী; ) is the upper
tributary
A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...
of the
Buriganga
The Buriganga River ( bn, বুড়িগঙ্গা, ''Buŗigônga'', ) is a river in Bangladesh which flows past the southwest outskirts of the capital city, Dhaka. Its average depth is and its maximum depth is . It ranks among the most p ...
, a major river in
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
. The Turag originates from the
Bangshi River
Bangshi River (also spelt Bansi) ( bn, বংশী নদী) is an important river in central Bangladesh. It originates in Jamalpur, from the course of the old Brahmaputra and flows past the Madhupur tract. It flows through Tangail and meets ...
, the latter an important ''tributary'' of the
Dhaleshwari River
The Dhaleshwari River ( bn, ধলেশ্বরী ''Dhôleshshori'') is a distributary, long, of the Jamuna River (Bangladesh), Jamuna River in central Bangladesh. It starts off the Jamuna near the northwestern tip of Tangail District. After ...
, flows through
Gazipur
Gazipur ( bn, গাজীপুর) is a city in central Bangladesh. It is located in the Gazipur District. It is a major industrial city north of Dhaka. It is a hub for the textile industry in Bangladesh. Its other name is Joydebpur.
Demogra ...
and joins the Buriganga at
Mirpur in
Dhaka District
Dhaka District ( bn, ঢাকা জেলা, Dhaka jela) is a district in central Bangladesh, and is the densest district in the nation. It is a part of the Dhaka Division. Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, and rests on the eastern banks o ...
. It is
navigable
A body of water, such as a river, canal or lake, is navigable if it is deep, wide and calm enough for a water vessel (e.g. boats) to pass safely. Such a navigable water is called a ''waterway'', and is preferably with few obstructions against dir ...
by boat all year round.
Turag suffers from
infilling along its banks, which restricts its flow.
It also suffers from acute
water pollution
Water pollution (or aquatic pollution) is the contamination of water bodies, usually as a result of human activities, so that it negatively affects its uses. Water bodies include lakes, rivers, oceans, aquifers, reservoirs and groundwater. Water ...
. While attempts have been made to marginally widen the river,
the majority of industry has made little effort to follow environmental law
and the water has become visibly discolored.
History
Earlier this river was called as (Bengali: "Kohor Doriya"), "Kohor river".
Religious significance
Tabligh Jam'at, a popular
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
ic movement originating in
South Asia
South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...
, initially took hold in Dhaka in the 1950s as Maulana Abdul Aziz and other leaders set up the regional headquarters at the
Kakrail Mosque
Malwali Masjid/Mosque, Kakrail Markaz ( bn, মালওয়ালী মসজিদ, কাকরাইল মারকাজ) is a mosque in the Kakrail neighbourhood of Ramna Dhaka, Bangladesh. Located near Ramna Park, it is the centre of ...
near
Ramna Park
Ramna Park ( bn, রমনা উদ্যান, ''Rômna Uddan'') is a large park and recreation area situated at the heart of Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh. This forested park with pond near its center is one of the most beautiful are ...
. An initiative of the movement is an emphasis on the six ''uṣūl'' or "basic principles," two of which include ''ilm'', the pursuit of knowledge, and ''dhikr'' or ''zikr'', a method of prayer involving repetitive invocation of
hadith
Ḥadīth ( or ; ar, حديث, , , , , , , literally "talk" or "discourse") or Athar ( ar, أثر, , literally "remnant"/"effect") refers to what the majority of Muslims believe to be a record of the words, actions, and the silent approval ...
and
Qur'an
The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , sing. ...
passages. To this end, the movement places importance on ''ijtema'' or assembly, where members gather to practice and participate in ''dhikr'', hear religious sermons and discuss their activities.
The largest of these, the
Bishwa Ijtema
The Bishwa Ijtema ( bn, বিশ্ব ইজতেমা , meaning Global Congregation) is an annual gathering of Muslims in Tongi, by the banks of the River Turag, in the outskirts of Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is one of the largest peaceful gat ...
, is situated by the Turag River in Tongi and attracts estimates of between two and four million
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
s annually as well as representatives from over sixty countries, making it the second biggest Islamic congregation after the
Hajj
The Hajj (; ar, حَجّ '; sometimes also spelled Hadj, Hadji or Haj in English) is an annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city for Muslims. Hajj is a mandatory religious duty for Muslims that must be carried ...
.
References
External links
*
{{coord, 23, 46, N, 90, 20, E, display=title, region:BD_type:river_source:GNS-enwiki
Rivers of Bangladesh
Sacred rivers
Rivers of Dhaka Division