Shitalakshya River
The river's maximum depth is 21 metres (70 ft) and average depth is 10 metres (33 ft).
Course
The Shitalakshya branches off the Old Brahmaputra and flows through the eastern part of Dhaka District almost parallel to the Old Brahmaputra. It passes by Narayanganj and joins the Dhaleshwari River.
In Van den Brouck's map, the river is marked as Lecki, flowing west of the Brahmaputra. In Van den Brouck's time (1660), it was a 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
Sonargaon, a former capital of the region, stood on the banks of the Shitalakshya. Isa Khan, a former ruler of the area, built a fort on the river's banks. It is believed to be connected with Lalbagh Fort in Dhaka through a tunnel. Sonakanda Fort, also on the river, was built to counter the Magh and Portuguese pirates. There are several historical mosques along Shitalakshya's banks – Bandarshahi mosque (built in 1481 by Baba Saleh), Kadam Rasul mosque (containing the footprints of Muhammad), Mariamer masjid (built by Shaista Khan), etc.
Economic importance
The Shitalakshya River was once an important center for the muslin industry. 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 along the river at Palash (north of Ghorashal) and at Siddhirganj.
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.
Industrial wastewater is dumped into the river untreated. This results in high levels of water pollution.
See also
References
- ^ Md Mahbub Murshed (2012). "Shitalakshya River". In Sirajul Islam and Ahmed A. Jamal (ed.). Banglapedia: National Encyclopedia of Bangladesh (Second ed.). Asiatic Society of Bangladesh.
- ^ Majumdar, R. C. (1971). History of Ancient Bengal. Calcutta: G. Bhardwaj & Co. p. 4. OCLC 96115784.
- ^ Roy, Niharranjan, Bangalir Itihas, Adi Parba, (in Bengali), first published 1972, reprint 2005, p. 86, Dey’s Publishing, 13 Bankim Chatterjee Street, Kolkata, ISBN 81-7079-270-3
- ^ Khokon, Leaquat Hossain, 64 Jela Bhraman, 2007, pp.14-15, Anindya Prokash, Dhaka, ISBN 984-8740-19-8
- ^ "Govt okays container terminal on Shitalakhya". The Independent. Dhaka. UNB. Archived from the original on 2007-08-14. Retrieved 2007-11-17.
- ^ Alam, Mohammad Naushad; Elahi, Fazle; Didar-Ul-Alam, Md. "Risk and Water Quality Assessment overview of River Sitalakhya in Bangladesh". Academic Open Internet Journal. Technical College, Bourgas. ISSN 1311-4360. Retrieved 2007-11-22.