Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam- File Photo

SANGSAD BHABAN, June 25, 2026 (BSS) - Shipping Minister Shaikh Rabiul Alam today informed Parliament that Bangladesh has a total of 1,415 rivers according to a list prepared jointly by the Ministry of Shipping, the Ministry of Water Resources, the National River Conservation Commission (NRCC), the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), divisional commissioners, district administrations and river activists.

The minister said the list was published on April 14, 2025 on the websites of the Ministry of Water Resources, the Bangladesh Water Development Board and the National River Conservation Commission.

He disclosed the information in response to a tabled question by opposition lawmaker Md Kamrul Hasan from Mymensingh-6 constituency in the Jatiya Sangsad today.

The minister said the National River Conservation Commission Act, 2013 was enacted following an order issued by the High Court Division of the Supreme Court in Public Interest Litigation (Writ Petition No. 3503/2009) to prevent illegal encroachment and pollution of rivers and to ensure their multidimensional use for socio-economic development.

He further said that in its order on Writ Petition No. 13989/2016, the High Court declared the National River Conservation Commission as the legal guardian of the country's rivers and directed the government to amend the existing law to make the commission more effective, as it lacks enforcement authority under the current legal framework.

Shaikh Rabiul Alam said the process of amending the National River Conservation Commission Act, 2013 is currently underway to strengthen river protection and enhance the commission's institutional capacity.

Under the proposed amendments, river encroachment and pollution will be treated as criminal offences. The draft law also includes provisions for establishing separate river courts, investigating complaints related to river encroachment, assessing and recovering compensation for pollution-related damages, and filing and monitoring legal cases concerning river protection.