The Padma Diary

Bangladesh and river: these two are so interconnected that the country is called 'the land of rivers'. Rivers -- flowing through this delta -- have a huge impact on the lifestyle, livelihood and culture of the people. Padma, the name used in Bangladesh for a major trans-boundary river known in India as the main distributary of the Ganges, originates from Gangotri glacier of the Himalayas. The once-mighty river is getting narrower with time due to changes in its course, climate change and massive pollution. In monsoon, the devastating character of Padma causes catastrophic flood and erosion. The river has many faces: sometimes it's serene and sometimes it's menacing. However, there is a deep bond between river and life; river is the lifeblood of Bangladesh. Lives of the people are flexible like the curves of rivers, rhythmic like the waves, fierce like storms, and playful like reflection.

PHOTOS & TEXT BY SUMON YUSUF