Bhadra River

Bhadra River a gentle river all along its course. It originates from kobadak [Kapotaksa in Bangla] in jhikargachha upazila of jessore district and flows through khulna district dividing the land between the pasur and shibsa rivers. Flowing through the sundarbans, the Bhadra joins the confluence of the Pasur and the Shibsa. Locally this part is known as Mara Bhadra (dead Bhadra). Then the river flows southeast from Sutarkhali and debouches into the Pasur after a 30-km journey through the Sundarban. But a noticeable change has occurred in the course of the river, and its main flow is now riding the course of the Sutarkhali.

At present the original Bhadra follows the course of the Jhapjhapia and then falls into the Pasur. At one point it follows the course of the Habrakhali before falling into the Shibsa. The present state of the river in dacope upazila of Khulna suggests its extinction in the near future. The Bhadra is under regular tide with a height of 0.21m to 3.91m. The river is about 193 km long. Lavjami, manirampur, Kelapur, Gharnia dumuria, Dacope, Sutarkhali, Kalbagi are some of the important places along its course. [Masud Hasan Chowdhury] [Chowdhury, Masud Hasan Assistant Editor, Banglapedia]