A Map showing major rivers in Bangladesh including Meghna.

The Surma-Meghna River System is a river complex in South Asia, one of the three that form the Ganges Delta, the largest on earth.^{[citation needed]} It rises in the Manipur Hills of northeast India as the Barak River and flows west becoming the Surma River and then flows south as the Meghna River, a total of 946 km (669 km within Bangladesh) to the Bay of Bengal.

Course[link]

Barak[link]

From its source in the Manipur Hills of India, near Mao Songsang, the river is known as the Barak River. Near its source, the river receives a lot of little hill streams, including the Gumti, Howrah, Kagni, Senai Buri, Hari Mangal, Kakrai, Kurulia, Balujhuri, Shonaichhari and Durduria. It flows west through Manipur State, then southwest leaving Manipur and entering Mizoram State.

In Mizoram State the Barak flows southwest then veers abruptly north when joined by a north flowing stream and flows into Assam State where it turns westward again near Lakhipur as it enters the plains. It then flows west past the town of Silchar where it is joined by the Madhura River. After Silchar, it flows for about 30-odd kilometres & near Badarpur, it divides itself into the Surma River and the Kushiyara River and enters Bangladesh. The principal tributaries of the Barak in India are the Jiri, the Dhaleshwari (Tlawng), the Singla, the Longai, the Madhura, the Sonai (Tuirial), the Rukni and the Katakhal.

The depth of river is 15 feet (0.0013 h). 60 hours (710,000 ft) 100 feet (0.0085 h) 90 feet (0.0076 h) 85 feet (0.0072 h)

Surma[link]

After entering into modern Karimganj District in south Assam, Barak divides in two, with the northern branch being called the Surma River and the southern the Kushiyara River. At this point the river enters the Sylhet Depression (or trough) which forms the Surma Basin.^[1]

The Surma is fed by tributaries from the Meghalaya Hills to the north, and is also known as the Baulai River after it is joined by the south-flowing Someswari River.

The Kushiyara receives tributaries from the Sylhet Hills and Tripura Hills to the south, the principal one from the Tripura Hills being the Manu. The Kushiyara is also known as the Kalni River after it is joined by a major offshoot (distributary) from the Surma. When the Surma and the Kushiyara finally rejoin in Kishoreganj District above Bhairab Bazar, the river is known as the Meghna River.

Meghna[link]

The Meghna is formed inside Bangladesh above Bhairab Bazar by the combination of the Surma and Kushiyara rivers. Down to Chandpur, Meghna is hydrographically referred to as the Upper Meghna. After the Padma joins, it is referred to as the Lower Meghna.

River Meghna from the bridge over the river

In Daudkandi, Comilla, Meghna is joined by the great river Gumti, created by the combination of many streams. This river reinforces Meghna a lot and increases the waterflow considerably. The pair of bridges over Meghna and Gomoty are two of the country's largest bridges.

The name for the largest distributary of the Ganges in Bangladesh is the Padma River. When the Padma joins with the Jamuna River, the largest distributary of the Brahmaputra, and they join with the Meghna in Chandpur District, the result is the Lower Meghna.

After Chandpur, with the combined flow of the Padma and Jamuna, it moves down to the Bay of Bengal in an almost straight line. In the course from Chandpur to the Bay of Bengal, the Meghna splits into a number of little rivers, but the main flow is through the Meghna Estuary.

Near Bhola, just before flowing into the Bay of Bengal, the river divides into two main streams in the Ganges delta and separates an island from both sides of the mainland. The western stream is called Ilsha and the eastern one is called Bamni.

Economics[link]

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Notes[link]

See also[link]

• List of rivers in Bangladesh

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A Map showing major rivers in Bangladesh including Meghna.

The Meghna River (Bengali: মেঘনা নদী) 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 originating from the hilly regions of eastern India. The river meets Padma River in Chandpur District. The river ultimately flows into the Bay of Bengal in Bhola District.

Major tributaries of the Meghna include the Dhaleshwari River, Gumti River, and Feni River. The Meghna empties into the Bay of Bengal via four principal mouths, named Tetulia, Shahbazpur, Hatia, and Bamni.^[1]

The Meghna is the widest river among those that flow completely inside the boundaries of Bangladesh. At one point near Bhola, Meghna is 12 km wide. In its lower reaches this river follows almost a straight line in its path. Despite its very calm and quiet look, this river is the cause of many deaths every year. Several ferry sinkings in the past have killed hundreds, like the MV Salahuddin-2 and the MV Nasrin-1. Near Chandpur it is very dangerous.

The river's average depth is 1,012 feet (308 m) and maximum depth is 1,620 feet (490 m). In the origin of Hatiya and Bhola, the deepest point is the Meghna River Creek, it reaches 1,998 feet (609 m).

Course[link]

The Meghna is a distributary of the great river Brahmaputra. The Meghna is formed inside Bangladesh by the joining of the Surma and Kushiyara rivers originating from the hilly regions of eastern India. Down to Chandpur, Meghna is hydrographically referred to as the Upper Meghna. After the Padma joins, it is referred to as the Lower Meghna.

Near Muladhuli in Barisal district, the Safipur River is an offshoot of the Surma that creates one of the main rivers in South Bengal. 1.5 km wide, this river is one of the widest in the country as well.^{[citation needed]}

At Ghatalpur of Brahmanbaria District, the river Titas emerges from Meghna and after circling two large bends by 240 km, falls into the Meghna again near Nabinagar Upazila. Titas forms as a single stream but braids into two distinct streams which remain separate before re-joining the Meghna.

River Meghna from the bridge over the river

In Daudkandi, Comilla, Meghna is joined by the great river Gomoti, created by the combination of many streams. This river reinforces Meghna a lot and increases the waterflow considerably. The pair of bridges over Meghna and Gomoty are two of the country's largest bridges. The Dakatua River is also part of the river system in Comilla district.

Meghna is reinforced by the Dhaleshwari before Chandpur as well. The name for the largest distributary of the Ganges in Bangladesh is the Padma River. When the Padma joins with the Jamuna River, the largest distributary of the Brahmaputra, and they join with the Meghna in Chandpur District, the result in Bangladesh is called the Lower Meghna. When the brown and hazy water of the Padma mix with the clear water of the Upper Meghna, the two streams do not mix but flow in parallel down to the sea - making half of the river clear and the other half brown. This peculiarity of the river is always a great attraction for people.

After Chandpur, when the river has the combined flow of the Padma and Jamuna it moves down to the Bay of Bengal in an almost straight line. In her course from Chandpur to Bay of Bengal, the Meghna braids into a number of little rivers including the Pagli, Katalia, Dhonagoda, Matlab and Udhamodi. All of these rivers flow out from the Meghna and rejoin again at points downstream.

Near Bhola, just before flowing into the Bay of Bengal, the river divides into two main streams in the Ganges delta and separates an island from both sides of the mainland. The western stream is called Ilsha and the eastern one is called Bamni.

See also[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Meghna River

• Surma-Meghna river system
• List of rivers in Bangladesh
• Banglapedia article on Meghna River

Notes[link]

Coordinates: 22°38′35″N 90°48′57″E / 22.64306°N 90.81583°E / 22.64306; 90.81583