The government has announced a nationwide canal excavation programme set to commence before Eid, beginning with the dredging of the Sahapara Canal in Borrampur, Kaharoal Upazila, Dinajpur.
It is expected that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will formally inaugurate the programme.
In a coordinated effort, ministers, advisers, state ministers, and members of parliament will simultaneously launch similar canal-dredging initiatives across 63 districts nationwide.
The decision was revealed during an inter-ministerial meeting on Thursday at the Secretariat, chaired by the Prime Minister’s Political Adviser, Mirza Abbas Uddin Ahmed.
The meeting focused on coordinating the excavation and re-excavation of rivers, canals, and reservoirs throughout the country.
Water Resources Minister Md Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee highlighted that years of neglect in canal maintenance have caused severe waterlogging and irrigation shortages, intensifying public hardships.
He emphasised the government’s commitment to public welfare and urged relevant ministries to work together to ensure the canal-digging programme is both effective and highly visible.
State Minister Farhad Hossain Azad noted that the initiative has already generated public enthusiasm.
He reaffirmed the government’s five-year plan to excavate 20,000 km of canals, in line with its election pledge, and called on officials to diligently implement the 180-day programme.
Mirza Abbas also underscored the historical significance of canal excavation, recalling how former President Ziaur Rahman gained public support through similar initiatives, describing them as transformative projects. He urged all stakeholders to collaborate to accelerate progress nationwide.
The meeting was attended by State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shah Alam, State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief M Iqbal Hossain, along with senior secretaries and officials from the Land Ministry, Disaster Management and Relief Ministry, Local Government Division, and Bangladesh Water Development Board.
