The focus of this paper is to perform a cost–benefit analysis to determine the economic efficiency of the restoration of a dying river in Bangladesh, namely the Buriganga River. The benefits of the restoration programme are derived by using market data and employing benefit transfer and contingent valuation techniques. The values generated by this approach are integrated into the framework of a cost–benefit analysis, which showed a benefit-cost ratio of 4.35. This demonstrates that the restoration of dying rivers in developing countries is not only an environmental imperative, but is also socially and economically justifiable.