The River Mathabhanga, once free flowing in the Damurhuda upazila of Chuadanga, has now dried up and turned into a narrow canal.
Different types of cultivation after occupying the lands on both sides of the river and installing numerous dams for easy fishing have caused the accumulation of silt on a large scale choking the waterbody. Besides, the narrow canal which was once River Mathabhanga is also being polluted by dumping of waste endangering the biodiversity of the district.
River Mathabhanga is an important river in southwestern Bangladesh and plays an important role in carrying water from the rainfall through Jalangi to the Sundarbans. The colour of the river was once green and clear.

Nestled along the border between India and Bangladesh, the Mathabhanga winds its way through the verdant landscapes of both nations, serving as a lifeline for countless communities along its banks.
What was once a thriving ecosystem teeming with life now appears desolate and parched, a shadow of its former self. Now native species of fish are disappearing due to lack of water and local farmers are cultivating paddy on the vast field that has emerged on the riverbed.
Once the river was thriving with full of water but now it remains dried up for around nine months except for three Bangla months of Shravan, Bhadra and Ashwin. When the water dries up after the monsoon, the locals occupy the slopes on both sides of the river and cultivate.
Currently, communities living on the river basin are grappling with the consequences of dwindling water resources, their livelihoods have been threatened by the river’s diminished flow, locals alleged.
During the dry season, several chars arise in the middle of the river and the water flows like a narrow channel on both sides of them. Sometimes there is knee-deep water, sometimes waist-deep water while people can walk across the river.
Different types of vegetables including rice, wheat, corn, tobacco, onions, red vegetables, coffee, spinach, tomatoes, and radish are cultivated on the slopes. Moreover, the river loses navigability due to the accumulation of silt triggered by numerous dams, locals said.
The river is in urgent need of dredging to protect native fish species. Apart from that, the navigability will be restored if illegal encroachment on the two sides of the river is restricted along with preventing environmental pollution, experts said.
Damurhuda Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Sajal Kumar Das said that the process of dredging of River Mathabhanga will be started. Action will be taken against the people who will install a dam on the river.
Damurhuda Upazila Fisheries Officer Farooq Mahaldar said that “Silt accumulates on at least 80% area of the river due to ploughing on the river banks. Apart from this, 20% of river streams get blocked due to various reasons including dams. A dam has been constructed at the confluence of the river Mathabhanga in India. Because of this dam, water cannot enter Bangladesh. Subsequently, native species of fish are disappearing due to lack of water in the river.”
Lawyer and a local of the vicinity, Ismail Hossain said, “A collective action is required to protect and preserve the precious water resources. rivers like the Mathabhanga are not just bodies of water — they are lifelines, sources of sustenance, and livelihoods for millions of people. Our collective responsibility is to ensure that they continue to flow, nourishing the land and the communities that depend on them.”