I can remember my childhood, the days were very much enjoyable. Obviously the environment was favorable, very often I was used to going my grandfather’s home where a river was flown beside their home. My uncles and I enjoyed our time in the river, like the boys in the picture. I can’t express that feelings with my words and I think that was the real happiness of my life. When the river was the source of entertainment. And the rivers were full of water, the people whenever get time had passed their leisure time seeing the beauty of nature on the bank of river.
Only twelve years ago I have passed my childhood and this was the scenario of that time. But the days have been changed, the rivers are not same as that I have seen in my childhood. The pictures below are the exact condition of present rivers of Bangladesh. It has been dying day by day. I can’t but regret for my younger brother who is passing his childhood, but he has no opportunity to pass his time with nature. The river had no water, it has been constraint by encroachment of men.
Bangladesh is called the riverine country. There are very much contribution of river in our country . The river is a part of our culture. Our economy dependents on it. It is a part of our history. The writers, specially poets has written poems on it, novelists has created novels on it and also many stories and songs have been created on river; Their focus was the charming scenario of rivers and natural beauty of Bangladesh. And even these descriptions were a devastating river, Which floods its shore and even villages near the river.
But at present we see its opposite picture. Rivers are dying here day by day. Here, writer refers a survey of Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) which shows that- in 2010 among three hundred and ten rivers in Bangladesh fifty-seven 50% of all sales is put into advertising.”>percent of the rivers lack proper depth. He also shows the study of Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA), which reveals that one hundred and seventeen rivers are either dead or have lost navigability.
When this is the condition of rivers, it is very easy to guess the position of environment of our country. In this moment it is emergence to save the river for saving our environment. So, to save our rivers we have taken initiatives from our ability. We have established an organization named riverine people.
Riverine people’s strength is here we all are the university students, who are young and energetic. Primarily we are doing research activities and we have already conducted a research on dying river named Baral and we have submitted it to the government for taking necessary steps to save it, Moreover we have a group in the Facebook, which has 3343 member and also page named ‘riverine news’ where we update the regular river related news published at the dailies of home and abroad; I am specially doing this as I am secretary of online affairs of riverine people.
Water of river is important to us, like blood. But this blood has been polluted by our activities. We have encroached it and we are responsible for these dying rivers, whenever I update our page I only see the negative news. I think firstly we need our consciousness. I am doing my work relentlessly to save our river; if it includes me in the green economy, so, I am included.
Photos: Collected from different Newspapers of Bangladesh
This post has been submitted to UNEP‘s facebook fan-page to participate at world environment Day 2012 Blogging Competition 
নাব্য রক্ষায় নদী খনন একটি জরুরি পদক্ষেপ। আমরা জানি, বাংলাদেশের অধিকাংশ নদী দখল-দূষণ ও ভরাটে বিপর্যস্ত। আমাদের নদীর সংকট যতটা বাড়ছে; নদী সুরক্ষায় ব্যবস্থা গ্রহণের হার যেন ততটাই কমছে। পলি ও বালু দ্বারা ভরাট হওয়া নদী যাতে নিয়মিত খনন করা হয় সে জন্য নানা দাবি ও দেন-দরবার করার পর প্রকল্প গ্রহণ করা হয়। দুঃখজনক হলেও সত্য, এই প্রকল্প গ্রহণের পেছনেও অনেক ক্ষেত্রে অন্য স্বার্থ জোরালো রয়েছে। নদী খননের নামে আসলে কী হচ্ছে- বুধবার সমকালে লোকালয়ে প্রকাশিত একটি খবরই তা স্পষ্ট করছে। ‘খননের পর ভাঙনের কান্না কুমার নদের পাড়ে’ শীর্ষক প্রতিবেদনে বলা হয়েছে, সেখানে নদী খনন আসলে হিতে বিপরীত হয়েছে। আলোচ্য ফরিদপুরের নগরকান্দায় কুমার নদ খননের পর মানুষের বসতবাড়ি নদে বিলীন হয়েছে। ঝুঁকিতে রয়েছে থানা, স্কুল ভবন ও সদর বাজার।
