Dhaleshwari river, flowing through Manikganj’s Saturia and Singair upazilas, has dried up within four years of a Tk 76 crore dredging project.
The situation sparks outrage among locals who allege that sand and soil trading took precedence over restoring navigability during the project.
Under Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100, the Manikganj Water Development Board launched a 45.5-kilometre dredging project from Tilli in Saturia to Islampur in Singair in 2018 to improve navigability, prevent erosion, manage floods and support local water access.
The work began in November 2019 and ended in late 2021, implemented in five packages at a total cost of Tk 75.86 crore.
By 2025, the riverbed has returned to its pre-dredging state. Large stretches now hold ankle-deep water, or none at places, while sandbars have emerged across the channel. In some areas, locals are now cultivating paddies and maize on what used to be the river.
Saturia Upazila BNP President Abdul Quddus Khan Majlish Makhan accused local political elites of hijacking the project.
“Influential Awami League leaders and public representatives turned dredging into a soil and sand business. The excavation depth was negligible. The project failed despite spending crores,” he said.
Jahangir Biswas, a member of Dhaleshwari River Protection Movement, echoed the allegation, saying contractors allied with the ruling party, in coordination with certain Water Development Board officials, prioritised soil trade over excavation targets.
The first phase of the project, 10.2 kilometres from Tilli Muk to Janna, was meant to revive the river’s primary flow. Today, even in the monsoon, parts of this stretch remain dry.
Farmers are now ploughing former riverbeds for crops. Riverbank communities face acute water shortages, digging pits to draw water for daily needs.
Professor Md Moniruzzaman Mukti of Saturia Syed Kalushah Degree College said the river once bustled with monsoon navigation, but now even seasonal flow is lost.
The worst scenario is at Tilli Muk, the origin point where Kaliganga connects with Dhaleshwari. A massive char has formed, effectively cutting off the link between the two rivers.
While Kaliganga still retains partial flow, Dhaleshwari is rapidly collapsing into oblivion.
Manikganj Water Development Board Executive Engineer Muhammad Akhtaruzzaman acknowledged the decline.
“The dredging was completed four years ago. Water levels have reduced in some areas during monsoon. We have requested fresh allocation to re-excavate the river. Work will resume once funds are approved,” he said.
