Dhaka, April 10 -- Bangladesh's rivers are in the grip of an alarming ecological crisis, with 81 reported to have dried up during the lean season, according to a recent study.

Once the lifelines of the nation-sustaining local economies, biodiversity, and ecosystems-many rivers are now either heavily silted or vanishing altogether, warns the study titled 'Dried-up Rivers of Bangladesh' by the River and Delta Research Centre (RDRC).

The crisis is particularly severe in regions such as Khulna, Satkhira, Rajshahi and Kushtia, where pollution, sedimentation, and rapid urbanisation have severely disrupted natural water flows.

"This deterioration poses a serious threat to livelihoods, agriculture, and biodiversity, underscoring the vital role...