Dkaha, April 6 -- There was a time when sailboats swayed on its crystal-clear waters, and the songs of boatmen painted a timeless picture of rural Bengal. Today, the Labandaha river of Gazipur stands among the most endangered rivers in the country - like a wounded body, barely breathing. In the iron grip of encroachment and pollution, this river is losing its glory. Only its memory remains, alongside a suffocating shell of what it once was. The death of Labandaha is not merely the story of one river; it is a long tale of neglect, greed, and indifference.

Choked by plastic waste, industrial effluents, and municipal garbage, it ranks among the most polluted rivers in the country. In fact, calling it a river at this point is generous - "can...