Geography of Bangladesh

Prepared by
Saba Nuzhat
Lecturer
GED Cell
 Area of Bangladesh
• Total area is the sum of all land and water areas delimited by international boundaries
and/or coastlines. 
• Land area is the aggregate of all surfaces delimited by international boundaries
and/or coastlines, excluding inland water bodies (lakes, reservoirs, rivers). 
• Water area is the sum of the surfaces of all inland water bodies, such as lakes,
reservoirs, or rivers, as delimited by international boundaries and/or coastlines.
• The total area of Bangladesh is 1, 47,570 sq. km.
• The total area of Bangladesh excluding the rivers and forest is only 1, 16,508 sq. km.
• A huge area is rising slowly due to accretion in the coastal region to the south of
Bangladesh. It is expected that with such accretion in the south, the total area of
Bangladesh would increase.
Administrations of Bangladesh

Division Area (km2)

Barisal 13,297

Chittagong 33,771

Dhaka 31,120

Khulna 22,272

Rajshahi 18,197

Rangpur 16,317

Sylhet 12,596

Bangladesh 147,570
 Boundaries
• Bangladesh is situated to the south of Asia.
• Bangladesh is surrounded by Myanmar and The Bay of Bengal on one side
and by India on the other three sides.
• To the north of Bangladesh, there is West Bengal, Meghalaya and Assam
To the east there is Assam ,Tripura, Mizoram and Myanmar
To the south there is Bay of Bengal and
To the west is West Bengal.
• The total length of the boundary is about 4,712 km of which about 3,715 km
is found to exist between Bangladesh and India, whereas the coastal
boundary extends for only 716 km.
 Rivers
• Bangladesh is a land of rivers. Most of the known rivers of Bangladesh
originated from the Himalayas, Tibbet, Borak of Assam and the hills of
Lusai. Since the region of Bangladesh possesses a gradual slanting ground
from the North towards the South, these rivers, tributaries and effluents
flow from the North to the South towards the Bay of Bengal. These rivers
move crisscrossing the country. Many rivers are now non-existent and
some of the rivers are on the verge of death.
• At present, Bangladesh has a total of 700 rivers and rivulets. The total
length of these rivers is 22,155 km.
 Rivers : The Padma
It is one of the largest rivers of Bangladesh, in India it is named the Ganges and in
Bangladesh it is known as Padma.
Originates: This river originates from the Gangatri glacier of the Himalayas.
Enters: The Padma enters Bangladesh from India near Chapai Nababganj.
Branches: The Mahananda, the Kumar, the Mathabhanga, the Bhairab, the Garai, the
Madhumati and the Arial Khan.
Meets with: It meets the Jamuna near Goalanda and flows as Padma, but meets with the
Meghna at Chandpur and adopts the name Meghna to fall into The Bay of Bengal.

This was once a mighty river in Bangladesh but now it is becoming weak day by day. This is due to Farrakah Dam,
which was set up by India.
 Rivers: The Meghna
Originates: Meghna has been created at the confluence of the river
Surma and Kushiara in the district of Sylhet. Both the rivers originated
from the river Borak of Assam in Naga-Monipur zone, and entered
Bangladesh through Sylhet.
Meets with: The Meghna meets with the old Brahmaputra at Bhairab
Bazar and the Padma near Chandpur., the river falls into the Bay of
Bengal as Meghna.
Branches: The river Titas, the Gomoti, the Bowlai are the branches of
Meghna.
The alluvium soil and flood from Meghna during the monsoon make
the land of Bangladesh more fertile.
Rivers : The Brahmaputra and The Jamuna
Originates: The Brahmaputra originated at the Manos Sarobor (large lake) of
Tibbet. It has entered Bangladesh through the district of Kurigram flowing
through Assam. Before 1787, the main stream of river Brahmaputra flowed
through Mymensingh from the northwest to the southeast corner. But in 1787,
the bed of the river rose up due to an earthquake, and the bed lost the containing
capacity of water. So a new stream was created and it was named as the Jamuna.
Meets with: The Jamuna meets with the Padma River near Goalundo Ghat, and
meets the Meghna River near Chandpur.
Branches: The branches of the Jamuna are the Dholeshiri, the Buriganga, the
Dhorola, the Tista, the Karatoa, and the Atrai.
Jamuna is notorious for its shifting sub channels and for the formation of
fertile silt islands (chars).
 The Karnaphuli
The main river of the southeast region of Bangladesh is Karnaphuli.

Originates: Its inception point is the Lussai hills of Assam. The river flows through Rangamati and
Chittagong and falls into Bay of Bengal.
Branches: The main branches of Karnaphuli are the Kaptai, the Halda and the
Kassalong.

Chittagong, the main sea port of Bangladesh, is situated on the bank of the river Karnaphuli.
This river is important for the only hydroelectric power station of the country.
 The Tista

• It originated in the hilly area of Sikkim, and flowing through Jolpaiguri and
Dargiling of India, the Tista entered Bangladesh through the Dimla area. It changed
its direction because of the flood in 1987 and started flowing through a dried up
stream of the Brahmaputra. Before changing the direction, it was connected with
the river Ganges, but now it is flowing together with the Brahmaputra.
• The role of the Tista in draining away water in the northern region of Bangladesh is
vital. The Tista barrage project had been constructed in 1997-98. It plays an
important role in preserving and discharging water, in irrigation and in protecting
flood.
The Rivers Of

Bangladesh
 Physiography
The whole area of Bangladesh is a great plain, but there is little highland in Bangladesh. Bangladesh can be
divided into 3 major physiographic divisions:
1. The hills of Tertiary Age
2. The terraces of Pleistocene period
3. The recent flood plains

1. The Hills of Tertiary Age: The Hills of the Tertiary Age possess an approximate 12% area of the total
volume of Bangladesh. These hills were formed while the Himalaya was formed in the Tertiary Age. They are
formed of sandstone, shale and mud. The hills of this region are divided into two, such as:
(a) Hills of the south-east (average 610 meters height): Rangamati, Banderban, Khagrachhari, Cox’s bazar and
the eastern part of Chittagong cover this region. The former peak of Bangladesh named Keokaradong (1230
meters) and recent Tajingdong (Bijoy,1,231 meters) are discovered here.
(b) Hills of the North and North-East (not more than 244 meters height): It includes the hills in the north of
Mymenshingh and Netrokona districts, in the north-east of Sylhet district and the hills of the south of
Moulovibazar and Habiganj. The hills are locally known as Tila.
 Physiography
2. The Terraces of Pleistocene period:
These include 3 areas:
(a) The Barind (about 6 to 12 meters high above the flood plain): The Barendra
Bhumi comprises of some parts of the districts of Naogaon, Rajshahi, Bogra,
Joypurhat, Rangpur and a particular region of the district of Dinajpur. The
color of the soil is grey and red.
(b) The Madhapur and Bhawal Garh (about 30 meters high above the flood
plain): Madhapur is situated in Tangail and Mymenshingh districts and the
Bhawal Garh is in Gazipur district. The color of the soil is grey and red.
(c) Lalmai Hills (average 21 meters in height): It is situated in Comilla district.
 Physiography
3. The recent flood plains: Excepting the hills of Tertiary Age and the Pleistocene
Terraces, the whole of Bangladesh is a plain land drained by a large number of
small and large rivers. During the rainy seasons these rivers flow through the
plain land and cause flood. The total area of this flood plain can be divided into
several divisions:
(a) Piedmont plain of Rangpur and Dinajpur
(b) Flood plain of Dhaka, Tangail, Mymenshing, Pabna, Jamalpur, Comilla,
Noakhali and Sylhet.
(c) The deltaic plain comprising of some parts of Khulna, Rajshahi and Dhaka.
(d) The flat coastal plain of Chittagong extending from the lower part of
Noakhali and Feni rivers to Cox’s Bazar.
(e) The tidal plain or the Mangrove forest comprising of some parts of Khulna,
Patuakhali and Borguna district.
Physiography
of Bangladesh
 The Climate of Bangladesh
• Bangladesh has a tropical monsoon climate characterized by heavy seasonal rainfall,
high temperatures, and high humidity. Natural disasters, such as floods, and cyclones
affect the country yearly.
• Monsoon is a seasonal wind that has so high influence in this region that the climate is
known as tropical monsoon climate as a whole. Monsoon blows in South Asia from the
southwest in summer bringing heavy rains, and from the northeast in winter.
• Three seasons- winter, summer and the rainy season are predominant in Bangladesh
which harmonize the overall climate of South Asia.
• No extreme weather is perceived here like that either of a cold country or of that of the
tropical country. The dry and comfortable winter season and the hot and moist summer
are the main features of the climate in Bangladesh. The north western part of the
country experiences the hottest and the coldest temperatures.
 Seasons : Summer, Rainy and Winter
Summer season
(From the month of March to May or Falgun to Jaishtha)
•Temperature: It is the hottest season in Bangladesh. The maximum and
minimum temperature range between 38º Celsius to 21º Celsius . The month
of April is the hottest month. The temperature during this season gradually
increases from the southern part towards the northern part of the country.
•Rainfall: The Kalbaishakhi thunderstorm or the Norwester is one of the
important characteristics of summer season. It occurs with high intensity
from March to April. About 20% of the annual rainfall of Bangladesh comes
in summer.
•Wind: The hot and humid air coming from the south rises upward due to
high temperature and comes in collision with the cold and dry air coming
from north-west causing rainfall with thunderstorms.
 Rainy season
(From June to October or Aashar to Kartik)
•Temperature: The average temperature is 27º Celsius. Due to cloud cover and heavy downpour
the high temperature is not felt. June and September are the hottest months during the rainy
season.
•Rainfall: With the exception of the relatively dry western region of Rajshahi, where the annual
rainfall is about 1600 mm, most parts of the country receive at least 2300 mm of rainfall per year.
Because of its location just south of the foothills of the Himalayas, where monsoon winds turn
west and northwest, the regions in northeastern Bangladesh receives the greatest average
precipitation, sometimes over 4000 mm per year. About 80% of Bangladesh's rain falls during
the monsoon season. These rainfalls cause flood and water stagnation in the country. The coastal
areas are hit with cyclones in this season.
•Wind: The rainy season begins when the monsoon starts blowing from the Bay of Bengal at the
end of June. The season is characterized by southerly or southwesterly winds with very high
humidity.
Bangladesh
Monsoon
Direction
 Winter season
(From November to February or Kartik to Falgun)

• Temperature: The maximum and the minimum temperature during the winter
range from 29º Celsius to 11º Celsius. The coldest month is January where the
average temperature is 18º Celsius. The northern part of the country experiences the
lowest temperatures of the country.
• Rainfall: Bangladesh does not normally experience any rainfall during the season.
A little amount of rainfall occurs in the coastal and in the mountainous regions
during winter which accounts for not more than 10 cm.
• Wind: The humidity recorded during this time is on an average 36%. Sometimes
very cold wind blows over the northern region and as a result, it experiences very
cold weather.
 Forest resources
• Bangladesh does not have sufficient forests. A country should have 20-25% of
forest of the total area of land. But in Bangladesh, it is only 13%. Timber,
honey, bee-wax, etc. are the resources of the forest. The increasing population
of the country requires valuable timber to make house and furniture. The
requisite timber is collected from the forest . As a result, the forest area is
gradually decreasing.
• Due to the variation of soil and climate, different types of natural vegetation is
found to grow in different regions of Bangladesh. The forests of Bangladesh
has been classified according to the varied vegetation.
Forest resources
 Forest resources
• Moist or dry deciduous forest : The leaves of the trees which fall seasonally are known
as deciduous trees. These trees shed their leaves in the dry season .
• This type of forest is found in Mymenshing, Tangail, Gazipur, Rangpur and Dinajpur.
• Shal ,Gajari, Koroi, Bohera, Hijol, Shiris, Horotoki, Jackfruit, Neem trees are found
here. Shal is the main tree of this forest so it is called the Shal forest.
The forest has been divided into 2 parts:
• The forest in Mymensingh, Tangail and Gazipur is known as the Modhupur Vhawal
forest, and in Dinajpur it is called the forest land of Borendra.
• In both of the forest 70% to 75% of the trees are Shal. But today the Shal forest patches
have been exhausted. The soil all over a Shal forest looks yellowish or reddish in color.
• All these trees are used in construction materials.
 Forest resources
• Mangrove forest : The trees that grow at the salty and wet soil washed by the ebb and
flow of the sea near the seashore of Noakhali and Chittagong to the southwest zone of
Bangladesh and the Shundarbans are called the Mangrove or Goran forest area.
• Shundari, Gewya, Porosh, Dhundal,Kewra, Bayen, Goran are some of the trees of the
mangrove forest.
• Bangladesh has 4,192 square kilometers of Mangrove or Goran forest area.
• The mangrove forest in the Sundarbans is unique because of its history, size, productivity
and significance in balancing the local ecosystem. It is the largest mangrove patch in the
world - the second largest (in Malaysia) is only one-tenth of its size. The forest covers the
districts of Khulna, Shatkhira, Bagerhat and Barguna.
• Village forest: Tree coverage in the village forests act as the source of a remarkable
portion of national demand of forest produces.
 Forest Zones
in Bangladesh
 Mineral resources
Natural gas: Bangladesh is rich in natural gas. It is the most important indigenous source of energy of the
country.
• The first gas field of the country was discovered in Haripur of Sylhet in 1955. So far 25 gas fields have been
discovered in Bangladesh of which 2 are offshore . Some of the major fields are Titas, Haripur, Rashidpur,
Jalalabad, Habiganj, Bakhrabad, Kutubdia etc.22 of these gas fields are at the eastern part of the country.
• Average daily gas production capacity is about 2250 mmcfd (Millions of cubic feet per day) 1 of which
International Oil Companies (IOC) (Chevron, Tullow, Santos and ConocoPhilips) produce the majority
amount. Chevron alone produces around half of the country’s daily gas consumption. However there still
remains a deficit of around 400-500 mmcfd per day, and improvement of inadequate gas transmission
infrastructure remains a daunting challenge.
• Natural gas dominates electricity generation as well as industrial energy usage of Bangladesh. In the fiscal
year 2010, over 85% energy generation was done by natural gas where other resources contribution was
comparatively very less2.
• Natural gas is also used in producing fertilizer, rubber, insecticides, plastic, synthetic fiber etc.

1. http://www.textiletoday.com.bd/magazine/printable.php?id=527
2. Present Power Scenario and Future Plan, Bangladesh Power Development Board, January 2011.
Bangladesh: Gas
Fields and
Gas Pipeline
 Mineral resources
• Coal: Besides natural gas, Bangladesh has significant high quality coal reserve.
Coal reserves of about 3.3 billion tons comprising 5 deposits at depths of 118-1158
meters have been discovered so far in the north-western part of Bangladesh. The
name of these deposits are-Barapukuria, Phulbari and Dighipara coal field in
Dinajpur district, Khalashpir in Rangpur district and Jamalganj in Joypurhat
district, among these 4 deposits (118-509 meters) are extractable at present. So far,
only Barapukuria coal field is under production.
• Coal is predominantly used in brickfields and small industries, it is also used as
fuel. Bangladesh began commercial coal production in April 2003 with the
opening of the Barapukuria Coal Mine, which is expected to produce one million
short tons of coal per year (Mmst/y), principally for electricity generation.
• Coal can be an alternative source of energy for us reducing the pressure on natural
gas but extraction of coal remains at a low level.
 Mineral resources
• Limestone: It is available in Jafflong and Zakigonj in Sylhet district, Bhangarhat,
Baglibazar, Takerghat of Sunamgonj district, Sitakunda of Chittagong district and Saint
Martin’s Island in Cox’s Bazar district. Limestone is used as raw materials for cement.
Besides, it is also used in glass, bleaching powder, steel and paper industries.
• China clay or white clay: It is available in Rajshahi, Naogaon and Mymenshingh. This
clay is used for production of crocries, electronic insulators and sanitary materials.
• Silica sand or glass sand: Used in glass production, producing paints and chemical
materials. About 1, 80,000 cft. of silica sand is produced annually from Sylhet and
Chittagong .
• Hard rock: Hard rock is available in Ranipukur, Syampur of Rangpur district and
Madhyapara of Dinajpur district. It is used in the construction of railways, roads,
houses, bridges, dams and flood control projects. Experts think that about 17 lakh tons
of hard rock may be extracted from these fields.
Limestone Glass Sand

White clay Hard rock

Mineral Map
of
Bangladesh