Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will inaugurate the Teesta mega project work in November 2027, said State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad.
He made the announcement on Thursday morning after inspecting Mahendranagar Drainage Canal in Lalmonirhat Sadar Upazila.
He revealed that technical-level talks on the Teesta issue have already been conducted with India, while a high-powered technical committee of river experts is actively at work.
Farhad added that the feasibility study for the project is nearing completion and formal approval will be secured as soon as the finance minister returns to the country.
Emphasising the need for flawless project design, he said that both domestic and international specialists are being engaged.
Alongside experts from the Centre for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS), officials from the River Commission and specialists from BUET, consultations are being held with experts from China, the Netherlands and Malaysia.
All recommendations will be synthesised into a comprehensive Development Project Proposal (DPP).
Finalising the DPP will require an additional eight to nine months to ensure that the chosen execution strategy delivers maximum benefits to the local population.
Once implemented, the mega project is set to transform the livelihoods of people in the northern region, ending long-standing hardships and fulfilling the expectations of nearly 30 million people across five districts: Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Nilphamari and Rangpur.
Highlighting local development, the state minister announced that the prime minister will visit Lalmonirhat on 19 November to formally inaugurate the picturesque Mahendranagar Drainage Canal.
The canal will provide direct irrigation benefits to several thousand local residents, accompanied by tree planting along both banks to open a new chapter for Lalmonirhat.
The inspection was attended by Deputy Commissioner Muh Rashedul Haq Prodhan, Superintendent of Police Asaduzzaman, District Council Administrator AKM Mominul Haq, Executive Engineer of the Water Development Board Sunil Kumar, Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Manonita Das, senior officials of the local administration, and leaders and activists of various political parties.
