Professor Dr. Md. Fakhrul Islam writes that many rivers in southern Bangladesh have dried up, leaving bridges standing over sand and weeds instead of flowing water. The article attributes this severe environmental change primarily to the Farakka Barrage, built in 1975 on the Ganges in West Bengal to maintain navigability at Kolkata port. Reduced water flow from the Ganges has caused rivers such as the Padma, Gorai, Madhumati, Kumar, Bhairab, and Kopotakkho to lose vitality, turning once-thriving waterways into barren channels.

The drying of rivers has disrupted agriculture, fisheries, navigation, and biodiversity, while salinity intrusion has damaged farmland and freshwater sources in Khulna, Satkhira, and Bagerhat. The loss of river-based livelihoods has forced migration and eroded local culture and communication traditions. The author notes that Bangladesh has repeatedly demanded fair water sharing from India, but dry-season flows remain inadequate despite agreements.

He argues that Bangladesh’s own policy failures, including weak diplomacy, river encroachment, pollution, and lack of dredging, have worsened the crisis. With the same political party now governing both West Bengal and India’s central government, he urges Bangladesh’s new BNP administration to pursue strong diplomatic action for a sustainable water-sharing solution.