Turag River
Encyclopedia
The Turag River is the upper tributary
of the Buriganga
, a major river in Bangladesh
. The Turag originates from the Bangshi River
, the latter an important tributary of the Dhaleshwari River
, flows through Gazipur
and joins the Buriganga at Mirpur
in Dhaka District
. It is navigable by boat all year round.
Exemplifying the riverine character of Dhaka
, the Turag is abundant in fish but suffers from acute water pollution
. While attempts have been made to marginally widen the river, the majority of industry has made little effort to follow environmental law and the water has become visibly discolored.
, a popular Islam
ic movement originating in South Asia
, initially took hold in Dhaka in the 1950s as Maulana Abdul Aziz and other leaders set up the regional headquarters at the Kakrail Mosque
near Ramna Park
. An initiative of the movement is an emphasis on the six uṣūl or "basic principles," two of which include ilm, the pursuit of knowledge, and dhikr or zikr, a method of prayer involving repetitive invocation of hadith
and Qur'an
passages. To this end, the movement places importance on ijtema or assembly, where members gather to practice and participate in dhikr, hear religious sermons and discuss their activities.
The largest of these, the Bishwa Ijtema
, is situated by the Turag River in Tongi and attracts estimates of between two to four million Muslim
s annually as well as representatives from over sixty countries, making it the second biggest Islamic congregation after the Hajj
.
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Buriganga
Buriganga River
The Buriganga River is the main river flowing beside Dhaka city, capital of Bangladesh. The average depth is and maximum depth is .-History:...
, a major river in 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...
. The Turag originates from the Bangshi River
Bangshi River
Bangshi River is an important river in central Bangladesh. It originates in Jamalpur, from the course of the old Brahmaputra and flows past the Madhupur tract. It flows through Tangail and meets the Tongi in Ghazipur. It passes near Jatiyo Smriti Soudho in Savar and falls into the Dhaleshwari...
, the latter an important tributary of the Dhaleshwari River
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...
, flows through Gazipur
Gazipur District
Gazipur District is a district of Dhaka Division, it has an area of 1741.53 km2 and is bounded by Mymensingh and Kishoreganj districts on the north, Dhaka, Narayanganj and Narsingdi districts on the south, Narsingdi on the east, Dhaka and Tangail districts on the west. Annual average...
and joins the Buriganga at Mirpur
Mirpur Thana
Mirpur is a thana of Dhaka city, Bangladesh. It is bounded by Pallabi Thana to the north, Mohammadpur Thana to the south, Kafrul to the east - to the west it is bounded by Savar Upazila.-Geography:Mirpur is located at...
in Dhaka District
Dhaka District
Dhaka District is a district located in central Bangladesh, and is the densest district in the nation. It is a part of the Dhaka Division. Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, rests on the eastern banks of the Buriganga River which flows from the Turag to the south of the district...
. It is navigable by boat all year round.
Exemplifying the riverine character of 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...
, the Turag is abundant in fish but suffers from acute water pollution
Water pollution
Water pollution is the contamination of water bodies . Water pollution occurs when pollutants are discharged directly or indirectly into water bodies without adequate treatment to remove harmful compounds....
. While attempts have been made to marginally widen the river, the majority of industry has made little effort to follow environmental law and the water has become visibly discolored.
Religious significance
Tabligh Jam'atTablighi Jamaat
Tablighi Jamaat is a religious movement which was founded in 1926 by Muhammad Ilyas al-Kandhlawi in India. The movement primarily aims at Tablighi spiritual reformation by working at the grass roots level, reaching out to Muslims across all social and economic spectra to bring them closer to...
, a popular Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
ic movement originating in South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
, initially took hold in Dhaka in the 1950s as Maulana Abdul Aziz and other leaders set up the regional headquarters at the Kakrail Mosque
Kakrail Mosque
Kakrail Mosque is a mosque located near Ramna Park, Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is the center of all Tablighi activities in Bangladesh.Basically, it is to Bangladesh what Nizamuddin and Raiwind are to India and Pakistan respectively...
near Ramna Park
Ramna Park
Ramna Park is a large park and recreation area situated at the heart of Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh...
. An initiative of the movement is an emphasis on the six uṣūl or "basic principles," two of which include ilm, the pursuit of knowledge, and dhikr or zikr, a method of prayer involving repetitive invocation of hadith
Hadith
The term Hadīth is used to denote a saying or an act or tacit approval or criticism ascribed either validly or invalidly to the Islamic prophet Muhammad....
and Qur'an
Qur'an
The Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
passages. To this end, the movement places importance on ijtema or assembly, where members gather to practice and participate in dhikr, hear religious sermons and discuss their activities.
The largest of these, the Bishwa Ijtema
Bishwa Ijtema
The Bishwa Ijtema , or is an annual Tablighi Jamaat Islamic movement congregation held at Tongi, Bangladesh by the river Turag. The event focuses on prayers and meditation and does not allow political discussion...
, is situated by the Turag River in Tongi and attracts estimates of between two to four million Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
s annually as well as representatives from over sixty countries, making it the second biggest Islamic congregation after the Hajj
Hajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
.
Condition of the river
This river is surrounded by unwanted pollutants. Due to the Bishwa Istema, pilgrims stay at the riverside for days without an adequate sanitation system. As a result, the garbage generated is thrown into the river and thus the river is polluted heavily. Moreover, the river is heavily polluted by factories lining the bank of the river.See also
- Buriganga RiverBuriganga RiverThe Buriganga River is the main river flowing beside Dhaka city, capital of Bangladesh. The average depth is and maximum depth is .-History:...
- Tabligh Jam'atTablighi JamaatTablighi Jamaat is a religious movement which was founded in 1926 by Muhammad Ilyas al-Kandhlawi in India. The movement primarily aims at Tablighi spiritual reformation by working at the grass roots level, reaching out to Muslims across all social and economic spectra to bring them closer to...
- Bishwa IjtemaBishwa IjtemaThe Bishwa Ijtema , or is an annual Tablighi Jamaat Islamic movement congregation held at Tongi, Bangladesh by the river Turag. The event focuses on prayers and meditation and does not allow political discussion...