For Picture Labeling/Identification, Picture Drawing :

Dig: Physical map of Bangladesh ^

 Dig: The formation of an Oxbow Lake

Dig: Classification of Bangladesh’s Physiography

 Topic-1(a) Natural Topography
1. Topography = Topography is a configuration of a land surface including its relief
and contours, the distribution of mountains and valleys, the patterns of rivers,
and all other natural features that produce the landscape.
2. Boundary of Bangladesh = Bangladesh is a transition zone between Southwest
and Southeast Asia. It is bounded by India on the west (WestBengal), on the
north by Meghalaya and Assam, and on the north-east by Tripura and Mizoram,
and it shares a south-eastern border with Myanmar (Burma) . The Bay of Bengal
isto the south.
3. Coordinates of Bangladesh = Bangladesh stretches latitudinally between 20^0
34’ N and 26^0 33’ N, and longitudinally between 88^0 01’ E and 92^0 41’ E.
4. Distinctive Natural features = There are three natural features in Bangladesh:
● A broad alluvial plane subject to frequent flooding.
● A slightly elevated relatively older plain.
● A small hill region drained by fast flowing rivers.

5. Tertiary Hills: Hilly Area Classification = The hills in Bangladesh were formed
at the same time that the Himalayan mountains were formed. Therefore, they are
called Hills of Tertiary Age. The hilly areas of Bangladesh comprise two main
kinds of topography:
● Low hill ranges
● High hill or mountain ranges.
Low hill Ranges: occur between and outside the high hill ranges. They are mainly
formed of unconsolidated sandstone and shale. Their summits are generally less than
300m above sea level (MSL). Most areas are strongly dissected, with short steep
slopes.
High hill or mountain ranges: These comprises an almost parallel ridge running
approximately north-south and with summits reaching 300-1000 m. above sea level.
Keokradong (1,230 m) situated in Bandarban is the highest peak of Bangladesh. These
hills have steep slopes - generally greater than 40%, often 100% and are subject to
These comprises an almost parallel ridge running approximately north-south and with
summits reaching 300-1000 m. above sea level. Keokradong (1,230 m) situated in
Bandarban is the highest peak of Bangladesh. These hills have steep slopes - generally
greater than 40%, often 100% and are subject to landslide erosion.

6. Pleistocene Terrace: Madhupur Tract and Barind Tract- The Pleistocene

Terrace is a bench-like structure bordering an undersea feature. These types of
terraces were formed by the flood of snow-melt water during the Pleistocene
epoch about 25,000 years ago.
 7. Recent Floodplain: All river name related floodplains (such as Tista
Floodplain, Old Brahmaputra Floodplain, Jamuna Floodplain,
Surma-Kushiyara Floodplain, Meghna Floodplain, Ganges River Floodplain,
Ganges Tidal Floodplain), Sundarbans, Chittagong Coastal Plain)|
Tista Floodplain: This is a big sub-region stretching between the Old Himalayan
Piedmont Plain in the west and the right bank of the north-south flowing Brahmaputra in
the east. Most of the land is shallowly flooded during monsoons.
Old Brahmaputra Floodplain: The Old Brahmaputra floodplain stretches from the
southwestern corner of the Garo Hills, along the eastern rim of the Madhupur Tract,
down to theMeghna. It exhibits a gentle morphology composed of broad ridges and
depressions. The latter are usually flooded to a depth of more than one meter, whereas
the ridges are subject to shallow flooding only in the monsoon season.
Jamuna (Young Brahmaputra) Floodplain: The right-bank of the Jamuna (once a part
of the Tista floodplain) is part of the bigger floodplain. Several distributaries of the
Jamuna flowthrough the left-bank floodplain.
Surma-Kushiyara Floodplain: comprises the floodplain of rivers draining from the
eastern border towards the Sylhet Basin (Haor Basin). Some small hill and piedmont
areas near Sylhet are included within the boundaries. Elsewhere, the relief generally is
smooth, comprising broad ridges and basins, but it is locally irregular alongside river
channels.

Meghna Floodplain: Meghna Floodplain: is divided into four sub-regions-

● Middle Meghna Floodplain: This floodplain of this river occupies a low-lying
landscape of broad islands and many broad meandering channels.
● Lower Meghna Floodplain: This floodplain area has a slightly irregular ridge and
basin relief, but also has large mounds used for settlement and cultivation.
● Old Meghna estuarine floodplain: The landscape in this extensive unit is quite
different from that on the river and tidal floodplains. The relief is almost level, with
little difference in elevation between ridges and basins.
● Young Meghna estuarine floodplain: This sub-unit occupies almost the level land
within and adjoining the Meghna estuary.
Ganges River Floodplain: Comprises the active floodplain of the Ganges and the
adjoining meander floodplain. The latter mainly comprises a smooth landscape of
ridges, basins and old channels.
Ganges Tidal Floodplain: The tidal landscape has a low ridge and a basin relief
crossed by many tidal rivers and creeks.
Sundarbans: South and southwest of the Ganges tidal floodplain, there is a broad belt
of land, barely above sea level with a height of only 0.91m. This very low land contains
the Sundarbans forest and the reclaimed estates (cultivated land).
Chittagong Coastal Plain: extends from the Feni River to the mouth of the Matamuhur
delta. Sediments near the hills are mainly silt, locally sandy, with clays more extensive in
floodplain basins. The whole of the mainland area is subjected to flash floods.

8. Deltaic Plain and Coastal Plain:

Deltaic Plain: The Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers together with a
non-Himalayan river, the Meghna, have built one of the largest deltas in
the world known as the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta or the Bengal Delta. These
delta-building activities of the rivers have contributed to the formation of some
60% of the total Bangladeshcoastline.
Coastal Plain: The Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers together with a
non-Himalayan river, the Meghna, have built one of the largest deltas in
the world known as the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta or the Bengal Delta. These
delta-building activities of the rivers have contributed to the formation of some
60% of the total Bangladesh coastline.

Topic-1(b) Drainage System:

1. Ganges-Padma River System = In Bangladesh, the Ganges is popularly
known as the Padma from its point of entrance at Manakosa and
Durlavpur unions of Shibganj upazila, Nawabganj district. The Padma is
120 kilometers long and from 4 to 8 km wide. The Ganges-Padma is the
major hydrodynamic system that forms one of the world's largest delta
complexes covering a major portion of the country and also a greater part
of West Bengal in India.
2. Surma-Meghna River System = The river originates in the hills of
Shillong and Meghalaya of India. The downstream of the Surma river from
Ajmiriganj is often referred to as the Meghna. The Meghna has two distinct
parts: the Upper Meghna (Kuliarchar to Shatnol) and the Lower Meghna
(Shatnol to estuary mouth). The Lower Meghna is the major outlet of the
combined Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna Rivers.
3. Tista River System = The Bengali name Tista comes from Tri-Srota or
three flows (flows of the Karatoya, Atrai andJamuneshwari rivers). It
originates in Chitamu Lake in the Sikkim Himalayas at an altitude of about
7,200 m and enters Bangladesh at the Kharibari border of Nilphamari
district.
4. Karnafuli River System = The Karnafuli River is the largest and most
important river in Chittagong and the Chittagong Hill Tracts, originating in
the Lushai hills in Mizoram State of India. It travels through 180 km of
mountainous wilderness making a narrow loop at Rangamati and then
 follows a zigzag course before it forms two other prominent loops, the
Dhuliachhari and the Kaptai. The river therefore drains into the Bay of
Bengal cutting across several hill ranges.
5. Meanders = A river tends to eliminate irregularities and forms a smooth
gradient from its source to its base level. As it approaches base level,
vertical erosion is replaced by lateral erosion, and the river widens its bed
and valley and develops a sinuous course that forms exaggerated loops
and bends called meanders. There are many meandering rivers in
Bangladesh, especially the Ganges, Meghna and the rivers of Barind tract
area e.g. Karatiya, Gorai.
6. Oxbow lakes = An oxbow lake is a crescent-shaped lake formed when a
river bank meets across the neck of a well-developed meander. It is found
on the floodplain of a river.
7. Flood Plains = A flood plain is a wide area of flat, low-lying land either
side of a river channel. It is formed by meanders migrating downstream
and is composed of alluvium deposited by repeated flooding.
8. Braided Streams = A braided stream has multiple channels separated
from each other by bars. It is characterized by a network of constantly
shifting channels around channel sandbars. The main channel is divided
into several channels, which meet once, re-divide and again meet each
other. The Brahmaputra-Jamuna in Bangladesh is a typical example of
one of the world's largest braided rivers.
9. Deltas- Definition, Bengal Delta, Classification and Characteristics =
● Deltas- A delta is a low-lying area of land formed at the mouth of a
river where the stream loses velocity and drops part of its sediment
load.
● Bengal Delta- The Bengal Delta is a compound delta. The
distributaries of two large rivers (Ganges and Brahmaputra) are
linked together to form a compound delta. It lies on the eastern side
of the Indian subcontinent and covers most of Bangladesh and
West Bengal in India. The Bengal Delta is one of the most densely
populated areas of the world. The Bengal Delta can be subdivided
into moribund, immature, mature and active deltas:
i) The moribund delta areas are in the south-western part of the
country, south of the Ganges River, where tributaries are highly
silted and there are many oxbow lakes.
ii) The immature delta is on the south of the moribund delta and
mainly consists of sea
beach and tidally influenced lands.
iii) The mature delta part is towards the central part of southern
Bangladesh
(Patuakhali, Barguna, etc).

THE END!