| Bhairab River | |
|---|---|
 The Bhairab in Jessore | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | Bangladesh |
| Division | Khulna |
| Districts | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Kapotaksha River |
| Mouth | Rupsha River |
| Length | 242 km (150 mi) |
TheBhairab (Bengali:ভৈরব নদী) is a river in south-westernBangladesh, adistributary of theGanges.[1] It passes throughKhulna, dividing the city into two parts. Bhairab River originates from Tengamari border ofMeherpur District and passes throughJessore city.[2] The river is approximately 160 kilometres (100 mi) long and 91 metres (300 ft) wide. Its average depth is 1.2 to 1.5 metres (4 to 5 ft) and with minimal water flow, it has plenty ofsilt.[3]
The Bhairab, which is considered to be of older origin than its parent river theJalangi, takes off from that river a few miles north ofKarimpur nearAkheriganj atBhagwangola (Vidhan Sabha constituency) inMurshidabad district (in West Bengal). After a tortuous course towards the south, it turns to the east forming the boundary betweenMeherpur P.S. (Bangladesh) and Karimpur (India) for a short distance. It then turns south, flowing past Meherpur town to the south and loses itself in the Mathabhanga close to the east ofKapashdanga. Its intake from the Jalangi having silted up, this river has been practically dead since long. The poor climate of Meherpur, which lies along its banks, is in great measure attributed to thestagnancy of its water.
Bhairab River has two main branches, the Khulna-Ichamati and the Kobadak. The Khulna-Ichamati forms part of the boundary between Bangladesh andIndia. The towns of Khulna and Jessore are situated on the bank of the river.[2] The development of their settlements and culture were influenced by the river. TheRupsa River is formed from the Bhairab and theAtrai River, and flows into thePasur River.[4]