Buffaloes stand in the Bangshai river, upstream of the Buriganga river, in Tangail, Bangladesh, March 1, 2023. The Buriganga, or the 'Old Ganges', is so polluted that its water appears pitch black, except during the monsoon months, and emits a foul stench through the year. The South Asian nation of nearly 170 million, with about 23 million living in Dhaka, has about 220 small and large rivers and a large chunk of its population depends on rivers for a living and transport. Untreated sewage, by-products of fabric dyeing and other chemical waste from nearby mills and factories flow in daily. Polythene and plastic waste piled on the riverbed have made it shallow and caused a shift in course. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain SEARCH "HOSSAIN BURIGANGA POLLUTION" FOR THIS STORY. SEARCH "WIDER IMAGE" FOR ALL STORIES. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY