💰 Rivers
The Economy of Bangladesh's Rivers
Fisheries, agriculture, ports, and power — how Bangladesh's rivers sustain its economy.
Padma
Supports hilsa fisheries, riverbank agriculture, and sand extraction; the Padma Bridge now carries road and rail traffic that once depended on slow ferry crossings.
Jamuna (Brahmaputra)
Char agriculture (rice, jute, vegetables), sand and gravel extraction, and freight/passenger transport across the Jamuna Bridge corridor.
Meghna
The country's largest hilsa fishery, a major inland waterway for passenger launches and cargo, and the main ferry/launch link to the southern coastal districts.
Karnaphuli
Home to the Kaptai Hydroelectric Power Station — Bangladesh's only hydropower plant — plus Chattogram Port shipping, fisheries, and timber/bamboo rafting from the hill tracts.
Surma
Supports haor agriculture (boro rice), freshwater fisheries, and stone/sand quarrying carried down from the Meghalaya hills.
Buriganga
Dhaka's main inland cargo/passenger terminal, historically lined with tanneries and textile industries along its banks.
Teesta
Irrigates much of northern Bangladesh's agriculture via the Teesta Barrage, and supports seasonal char farming.
Old Brahmaputra
Supports local fisheries and irrigation for Mymensingh's agricultural belt.
Madhumati
Freshwater fisheries, irrigation for the southwest's agriculture, and brickfields along its banks.
Rupsha
Provides river access to Mongla Port, historically supported Khulna's jute mills, and remains important for fisheries and shipbuilding yards.