Dhaka, Oct. 18 -- The birth, history, economy, and culture of Bangladesh are rooted in its rivers.

The Padma, Meghna, Jamuna, Brahmaputra, Teesta, Kapotaksha, and Dhaleshwari-each river carries a living history.

Agriculture, navigation, fisheries, even language and music bear the deep imprint of rivers. That is why Bangladesh is known as the "Land of Rivers."

But today, this identity is in grave danger. Hundreds of rivers are disappearing due to encroachment, pollution, and mismanagement.

The Buriganga, Turag, Balu, and Shitalakshya rivers, once the lifelines of Dhaka, have now turned into "waste rivers."

The dissolved oxygen level in Buriganga's water is nearly zero milligrams per liter-completely uninhabitable for any aquatic life....