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Buriganga (; ) is a river in Bangladesh which flows past Dhaka. It ranks among the most polluted rivers in the world. It stretches 27 km, passing through south and west of the capital. This river was the driving factor for Mughals to choose this city as the capital of Bengal Province. The Sadarghat or Dhaka River Port lies on this river, which is the busiest river port in the country.
According to the Dhaka Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), about of untreated wastewater are released into the lake from Tejgaon, Badda Thana and Mohakhali industrial areas every day. The wastewater mostly comes from garment washing and dyeing plants. Textile industries annually discharge as much as 56 million tonnes of waste and 0.5 million tonnes of sludge. Sewage is also released into the Buriganga.
The river is so choked with pollution that even in rainy season, the water is pitch black. The stench is extreme even if you are on top of a bridge. The dissolved oxygen, which is essential for marine life is only 3.01 mg/L in Buriganga, while at least 5 mg per liter is needed for aquatic life. A 2025 study by Jahangirnagar University found alarming concentrations of heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, chromium, mercury and arsenic in both the water and sediment of the river, levels that far exceed national and international safety limits.
Because of Dhaka's heavy reliance on river transport for goods, including food, the Buriganga receives especially high amounts of food waste since unusable or rotting portions of fruits, vegetables, and fish are thrown into the river.
When the Mughal Empire completed the conquest of South Asia, they made Dhaka the capital of Bengal Province. The city was centered around Buriganga, it became the lifeline of Dhaka. When the demand for Dhaka Muslin increased, it became the main way of trading with other cities. Back then, Dhaka was the one of the most prosperous city in the world. It attracted a lot of migrants and commerce, which made the riverways even busier.
Subadar Mukarram Khan of Bengal, tried enhancing the beauty of this river. During his reign, the parts of the city located on the banks were illuminated every night. In addition, lanterns were lit on countless boats on the river. At that time, the banks of Buriganga were described with incredible beauty. In 1800, Thomas was fascinated by the Buriganga River and wrote - "Dhaka looks like Venice from a distance when the Buriganga is full of water during the rainy season."
When the country was being exploited by East Pakistan and British Raj, they had to left muslin for simply what could sell more. Different types of factories started popping up on the banks of Buriganga, the industrial waste was not treated and went directly to the river, which gave the river it's signature pitch black look. The river is now considered biologically dead.
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