The Atrai river, which once flowed wide and strong through Santhia upazila in Pabna, is now barely recognisable

A river under onslaught. An open defiance of a High Court order. And inept river custodians.

A dam in Kakunkhai area of Sylhet’s Gowainghat has killed the Baulikhal river at its source, depriving many villages of a freshwater source for about one-and-a-half-year.