ABSTRACT
Water is the most valuable natural resource in Bangladesh. Water is the lifeline for agriculture, fisheries, inland navigation, industries, and aquatic ecosystems. Anyone who lives in Bangladesh is familiar with the phrase ‘panir opor nam jibon’, i.e., water is synonymous with life. Other popular nationalistic slogans and songs that illustrate the importance of water and the inseparable link between the socio-political culture and water include ‘tomar amar thikana – Padma–Meghna–Jamuna’ (i.e., our address is the Padma–Meghna–Jamuna Rivers) and ‘Ganga amar ma, Padma amar ma’ (i.e., the Ganges is my mother, the Padma is my mother).
