The Bangali River ( bn, বাঙালি নদী) is one of the main
river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of w ...
s in the northern part of
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 ...
(commonly known as North Bengal). As of 2007, the river is in the news because of the possibility that it might merge with the
Jamuna River, which could lead to major changes in the geography of the region.
Etymology
In the later part of the 18th century, movements against the
British Raj
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was him ...
erupted in North Bengal. Two of the major centers of the ''
Fakir-Sanyasi Rebellion'' were
Bogra District
Bogra District, officially known as Bogura District, is a district in the northern part of Bangladesh, in the Rajshahi Division. Bogra is an industrial city where many small and mid-sized companies are sited. Bogra was a part of the ancient Pun ...
and
Rangpur, located on two sides of the Bangali River. Whether this was the reason that prompted the name Bangali (the people of Bengal) is still unknown.
[
]
Geography
The Bangali River originates as a distributary of Teesta River in Nilphamari District. The river flows as the ''Ghaghot'' River from its source to Gaibandha
Gaibandha ( bn, গাইবান্ধা) is a town and district headquarters of Gaibandha District in northern Bangladesh. It is a centre of commerce and trade of the Gaibandha District and is located under the Rangpur Division. The area of ...
, where it splits into two branches —one moves towards the west as the "Ghaghot" and empties into the Karatoya River at Sherpur, Bogra District
Bogra District, officially known as Bogura District, is a district in the northern part of Bangladesh, in the Rajshahi Division. Bogra is an industrial city where many small and mid-sized companies are sited. Bogra was a part of the ancient Pun ...
; the other section of the Bangali River flows to the south and subsequently breaks into two sections in Bogra. These two sections join the Jamuna and Karatoa.
There are a number of distributaries of the Bangali River such as the Belal, Manosh, Modhukhali, Ichamoti, and Volka among others. These distributaries often dry up in the winter season.
Recently, with a gradual decrease in the flow of the Teesta River, the Jamuna has become the main source of water for the Bangali River. Some scientists, including former executive director of the River Research Institute, Abdul Wajed, consider the Jamuna to be the primary source of the river.[
Similar to other rivers in the region, the Bangali undergoes several divisions and receives multiple tributaries. According to the ''Bogra District Gazetteer'', the Bangali River flows through Sariakandi Upazila to the south east and reaches Chou-Ghata. Thereafter, at Jurigacha, it splits into two major branches. The western branch named Hal-Halia flows towards the south passing across Bogra, Sherpur and Dhunat Upazila. The eastern branch continues as the Bangali River through Dhunat Thana.][
]
History
The present-day streams of Jamuna and Teesta were created after a massive flood in 1787. The flood had a major impact on the geography of rivers in the region; several rivers changed course, and the changes continued for the next forty years. Prior to the flood, the Brahmaputra River used to pass through Mymensingh
Mymensingh ( bn, ময়মনসিংহ) is the capital of Mymensingh Division, Bangladesh. Located on the bank of Brahmaputra River, about north of the national capital Dhaka, it is a major financial center and educational hub of north- ...
and Bhoirob Bazaar to meet the Meghna River. After 1787, the Brahmaputra changed its course to drain into the Padma River
The Padma ( bn, পদ্মা ''Pôdma'') is a major river in Bangladesh. It is the main distributary of the Ganges, flowing generally southeast for to its confluence with the Meghna River near the Bay of Bengal. The city of Rajshahi is sit ...
.
Along with changes in course, the Jamauna and Teesta also gave rise to new distributaries in the aftermath of the 1787 flood. It is speculated that the Bangali River was born out of those changes of course of the Jamuna and Teesta.[
]
Concerns
Scientists are concerned about the current condition of the Bangali River. According to the "Pani Unnoyon Board" (Water Development Board), every year the Jamuna moves closer to the Bangali as a result of erosion
Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is dis ...
of its banks. As of 2007, a stretch of only separates the two rivers, an alarming sign for the continued existence of the Bangali River. Engineers worry that if these two rivers merge, an area of 1,000 square kilometres and of Bogra and Sirajganj will be completely submerged under water. Water would destroy the Bogra–Nagarbari road and eventually cause the Bangabandhu Bridge over the Jamuna to be ineffective.[ It would increase annual flooding in the floodplain of Bangali River.
Location: 24 50 41 N 89 50 41 E 24°50'41.90"N, 89°34'47.12"E]
Google Maps
References
{{coord, 24, 51, N, 89, 34, E, display=title, region:BD_type:river_source:GNS-enwiki
Bangali River
Rivers of Rajshahi Division