PHOTO: ANISUR RAHMAN

Dark chemical pollutants from industrial wastewater flow into the Shitalakkhya river, sharply changing the colour of the water. The photo, taken recently in Demra on the outskirts of Dhaka, shows the ecological stress caused by untreated discharge and rapid urban expansion along the river. In 2019, the High Court granted rivers the legal status of “living entities”. But in reality, almost all the country’s rivers are struggling to survive under the weight of encroachment, pollution and sand-lifting.