Shitalakshya River
Encyclopedia
Shitalakshya River (also known as Lakhya River) is a distributary
of the Brahmaputra
. In its initial stages it flows in a southwest direction and then east of the city of Narayanganj
in central Bangladesh
until it merges with the Dhaleswari
near Kalagachhiya. A portion of its upper course is known as Banar River. The river is about 110 km long and at it widest, near Narayangani, it is 300 meters in width. Its highest discharge has been measured at 2600 cuft/s at Demra. It remains navigable year round. The river flows through Ghazipur
forming its border with Narsingdi
for some distance and then through Narayanganj
.
The river's maximum depth is 70 feet (21.3 m) and average depth is 33 feet (10.1 m).
on the west, it took a sharp turn in the south-east direction near Dewanganj
, and then passing by Jamalpur
and Mymensingh
, threw off the Shitalakhya branch and flowed through the eastern part of Dhaka district and fell into the Dhaleshwari
. The Shitalakhya ran almost parallel to the Brahmaputra and after passing by Narayanganj
joined the Dhaleswari. The course of the Brahmaputra through Dhaka district was deserted by the 18th century when it flowed further east and joined the Meghna
near Bhairab
. Towards the end of the 18th century the Jamuna channel increased its importance and around 1850 it became the main channel of the Brahmaputra.
In Van den Brouck’s map the river is marked as Lecki, flowing west of Barrempooter (Brahmaputra). In Van den Brouck’s time (1660), it was large and swift flowing river. It was so till the early 19th century. There, however, are some reservations about the accuracy of Van den Brouck’s map.
, a former capital of the region, stood on the banks of the Shitalakhhya. A fort was built by Isa Khan
, a former ruler of the area, on its banks. It is believed that it was connected with Lalbagh Fort in Dhaka
through an underground tunnel. Sonakanda fort, also on the river, was built to counter Magh and Portuguese pirates. There are several historical mosques on its banks – Bandarshahi mosque (built in 1481 by Baba Saleh), Kadam Rasul mosque (containing the footprints of Hazrat Mohammad
), Mariamer masjid (built by Shaista Khan
) etc.
industry of the country flourished along the Shitalakshya. Even today, there are centres of artistic weaving on its banks. There also are a number of industrial units on its banks, including the Adamjee Jute Mills. Thermal power houses are located at Palash, north of Ghorashal, and at Siddhirganj, on the bank of the river. Industrial affluent dumped into the river resulting in high levels of pollution is a cause for concern.
There is a river port in Narayanganj. Numerous launches move out along the river to different parts of Bangladesh. The government has approved construction of a container terminal on the river Shitalakhya with foreign investment.
Distributary
A distributary, or a distributary channel, is a stream that branches off and flows away from a main stream channel. They are a common feature of river deltas. The phenomenon is known as river bifurcation. The opposite of a distributary is a tributary...
of the Brahmaputra
Brahmaputra River
The Brahmaputra , also called Tsangpo-Brahmaputra, is a trans-boundary river and one of the major rivers of Asia. It is the only Indian river that is attributed the masculine gender and thus referred to as a in Indo-Aryan languages and languages with Indo-Aryan influence...
. In its initial stages it flows in a southwest direction and then east of the city of Narayanganj
Narayanganj
Narayanganj is a city in central Bangladesh. It is located in the Narayanganj District, near the capital city of Dhaka and has a population of 220,000. The city is on the bank of the Shitalakshya River. The river port of Narayanganj is one of the oldest in Bangladesh...
in central Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
until it merges with the Dhaleswari
Dhaleshwari River
The Dhaleshwari River is a 160-km-long distributary of the Jamuna River in central Bangladesh. It starts off the Jamuna near the northwestern tip of Tangail District. After that it divides into two branches: the north branch retains the name Dhaleshwari and merges with the other branch, the...
near Kalagachhiya. A portion of its upper course is known as Banar River. The river is about 110 km long and at it widest, near Narayangani, it is 300 meters in width. Its highest discharge has been measured at 2600 cuft/s at Demra. It remains navigable year round. The river flows through Ghazipur
Ghazipur District
Ghazipur District is a district of Uttar Pradesh state in northern India. The city of Ghazipur is the district headquarters. The district is part of Varanasi Division...
forming its border with Narsingdi
Narsingdi District
Narsingdi is a district in central Bangladesh.It is located 50 km north-east of Dhaka, capital city of Bangladesh. It is a part of the Dhaka Division, and is the only district in Bangladesh that does not depend solely on agriculture. The district is famous for its textile craft industry...
for some distance and then through Narayanganj
Narayanganj District
The district of Narayanganj consists 3078 mosques, 269 temples, ten churches and four Buddhist temples.-Places of interest:The ancient city of Sonargaon was the capital of Isa Khan, a medieval ruler of Bengal. Sonargaon is also famous for producing muslin, a delicate and fine cloth made from cotton...
.
The river's maximum depth is 70 feet (21.3 m) and average depth is 33 feet (10.1 m).
Change in course of rivers
The Shitalakhya is a branch of the Brahmaputra which has changed its course at least twice in the Bangladesh region in the fairly recent past, indirectly affecting the flow of water in the Shitalakhya. In the 21st century, the main flow of the Brahmaputra waters is through the Jamuna channel. Earlier, after tracing a curve round the Garo HillsGaro Hills
The Garo Hills are part of the Garo-Khasi range in Meghalaya, India. They are inhabited mainly by tribal dwellers. Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya, is located in this range. It is one of the wettest places in the world. The range is part of the Meghalaya subtropical forests ecoregion.Garo Hills...
on the west, it took a sharp turn in the south-east direction near Dewanganj
Dewanganj Upazila
Dewanganj is an Upazila of Jamalpur District in the Division of Dhaka, Bangladesh.Dewanganj Upazila with an area of 266.59 sq km, is bounded by char rajibpur upazila on the north, islampur upazila on the south, baksiganj upazila and Meghalaya on the east, gaibandha sadar and fulchhari upazilas...
, and then passing by Jamalpur
Jamalpur Sadar Upazila
Jamalpur Sadar is an Upazila of Jamalpur District in the Division of Dhaka, Bangladesh.-Geography:Jamalpur Sadar is located at . It has 102578 units of house hold and total area 489.56 km².Hazrat Sha Jamal & Sha Kamal & Maulana A. Jabber Khan were famous religious leader.-Demographics:As of...
and Mymensingh
Mymensingh
Mymensingh , pronounced moy-mon-shing-haw, is a city of Bangladesh situated on the river Brahmaputra. It is the headquarters of the administrative unit Mymensingh District. Mymensingh is the anglicized pronunciation of the original name Momenshahi, referring to a ruler called Momen Shah. The cadet...
, threw off the Shitalakhya branch and flowed through the eastern part of Dhaka district and fell into the Dhaleshwari
Dhaleshwari River
The Dhaleshwari River is a 160-km-long distributary of the Jamuna River in central Bangladesh. It starts off the Jamuna near the northwestern tip of Tangail District. After that it divides into two branches: the north branch retains the name Dhaleshwari and merges with the other branch, the...
. The Shitalakhya ran almost parallel to the Brahmaputra and after passing by Narayanganj
Narayanganj
Narayanganj is a city in central Bangladesh. It is located in the Narayanganj District, near the capital city of Dhaka and has a population of 220,000. The city is on the bank of the Shitalakshya River. The river port of Narayanganj is one of the oldest in Bangladesh...
joined the Dhaleswari. The course of the Brahmaputra through Dhaka district was deserted by the 18th century when it flowed further east and joined the Meghna
Meghna River
The Meghna River is an important river in Bangladesh, one of the three that forms the Ganges Delta, the largest on earth fanning out to the Bay of Bengal. Being a part of the Surma-Meghna River System, Meghna is formed inside Bangladesh by the joining of different rivers originaing from the hilly...
near Bhairab
Bhairab Upazila
Bhairab is an Upazila of Kishoreganj District in the Division of Dhaka, Bangladesh.-Geography:Bhairab is located at . It has 34419 units of house hold and total area is 139.32 km². Bhairab is situated beside the rivers of Meghna and Brahmaputra...
. Towards the end of the 18th century the Jamuna channel increased its importance and around 1850 it became the main channel of the Brahmaputra.
In Van den Brouck’s map the river is marked as Lecki, flowing west of Barrempooter (Brahmaputra). In Van den Brouck’s time (1660), it was large and swift flowing river. It was so till the early 19th century. There, however, are some reservations about the accuracy of Van den Brouck’s map.
Historical importance
SonargaonSonargaon
Sonargaon is the ancient capital of Isa Khan's kingdom in Bengal. It is located near the current-day city of Narayanganj, Bangladesh....
, a former capital of the region, stood on the banks of the Shitalakhhya. A fort was built by Isa Khan
Isa Khan
Isa Khan is the most famous of the Baro Bhuiyans of medieval Bengal. He was the ruler of a region named Bhati. Throughout his reign he put resistance against Mughal invasion. It was only after his death, when the region went totally under Mughals.-Early life:It is estimated that he was born in 1529...
, a former ruler of the area, on its banks. It is believed that it was connected with Lalbagh Fort in Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
through an underground tunnel. Sonakanda fort, also on the river, was built to counter Magh and Portuguese pirates. There are several historical mosques on its banks – Bandarshahi mosque (built in 1481 by Baba Saleh), Kadam Rasul mosque (containing the footprints of Hazrat Mohammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
), Mariamer masjid (built by Shaista Khan
Shaista Khan
Mirza Abu Talib, better known by his title Shaista Khan , was a Subahdar and general in the army of the Mughal Empire. A maternal uncle to Emperor Aurangzeb, he served as the Mughal governor of Bengal from 1664 to 1688, and was a key figure during the rule of his nephew, the emperor...
) etc.
Economic importance
In the past, the famous muslinMuslin
Muslin |sewing patterns]], such as for clothing, curtains, or upholstery. Because air moves easily through muslin, muslin clothing is suitable for hot, dry climates.- Etymology and history :...
industry of the country flourished along the Shitalakshya. Even today, there are centres of artistic weaving on its banks. There also are a number of industrial units on its banks, including the Adamjee Jute Mills. Thermal power houses are located at Palash, north of Ghorashal, and at Siddhirganj, on the bank of the river. Industrial affluent dumped into the river resulting in high levels of pollution is a cause for concern.