The Muslin fabric trade flourished, and thus started the interwoven history of the Buriganga and fashion. The popularity of Muslin started to decline, however, as British textiles and machine-made clothes became commonplace. Garments’ and other factories started to pop up on the banks of Buriganga and release massive amounts of waste into the river. Hazaribagh, a neighbourhood built on the banks, accounts for 95% of the country’s tanneries which release about 22,000 cubic litres of toxic waste into the Buriganga everyday. Despite turning into a toxic cesspool, the one thing that remains constant is its service to locals.

Source: Dhaka Tribune January 03, 2026 08:59 UTC