Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is expected to inaugurate the long-awaited Padma Barrage project between January and March next year, Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee said Friday.
He said work on the Padma Barrage project is moving ahead, with nearly Tk35,000 crore approved for its first phase.
A second phase, estimated to cost another Tk15,000-17,000 crore, is also planned, while Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is expected to inaugurate the mega project between January and March next year, the minister said.
Anee was speaking to reporters after inspecting the Padma-Gorai confluence at Haripur-Shaldah in Kushtia Sadar upazila around 5pm.
He said the project was being implemented in line with the government’s pre-election commitment.
“We promised before the election that, if the people gave us their mandate, we would make the Padma Barrage visible,” he said.
The first phase was approved at a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, Anee said.
According to the minister, technical assistance, feasibility studies and other preparatory work for the project had been carried out over the years. The process began in 2004 under former prime minister Khaleda Zia and was completed in 2026, he said.
Anee credited the prime minister’s commitment and inclusion of the project in the election manifesto for helping move it towards implementation.
“We hope the prime minister will visit the site and inaugurate the mega project between January and March next year,” he said.
Expected benefits
The project is expected to play a major role in transforming the economies of the southwestern and northern regions, Anee said.
It will boost agricultural activities and help manage excess water and flooding during the monsoon, he said.
Irregular river flows and changes in river courses often cause embankments to collapse, damaging homes, markets and other settlements, the minister said.
During the dry season, reduced river flows can disconnect canals and other waterways linked to rivers, affecting agriculture and disrupting the ecological balance of the Sundarbans, he added.
People in 24 districts are expected to benefit from the project, although the nature of the benefits will vary from one area to another, Anee said.
Barrage infrastructure
Alongside the main Padma Barrage, another barrage will be built at the Padma-Gorai confluence as part of the project. Known as the Gorai Offtake, the structure will include a fish pass to facilitate fish movement and a navigation lock for vessels.
Gates and under-sluices will also be installed to regulate water flow, the minister said.
“Our long-standing dream has been to ensure that people in this region receive the full benefits of the project,” Anee said.
He expressed hope that visible construction work would begin soon.
Water Resources State Minister Forhad Hossain Azad, Daulatpur-1 MP Reza Ahmed Bachchu Molla, BNP Central Executive Committee member Ragib Rauf Chowdhury, reserved women’s seat MP Farida Yasmin, District Council Administrator Sohrab Uddin, Kushtia district BNP convener Qutub Uddin Ahmed and member secretary Engineer Zakir Hossain Sarker, among others, were present during the inspection.
