Bangladesh will begin a nationwide river and canal re-excavation programme within 180 days to reduce waterlogging, restore irrigation systems and strengthen climate resilience through coordinated efforts by four ministries.
Bangladesh is set to begin a national programme to excavate and re-excavate rivers, canals and water bodies to tackle waterlogging, restore irrigation and improve water management, Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie said on Thursday.
“The national programme to excavate and re-excavate rivers, canals and water reservoirs will begin soon. We will try to ensure that visible progress is achieved within a maximum of 180 days,” Annie told reporters.
The minister made the remarks after an inter-ministerial meeting at the Secretariat in Dhaka chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The meeting also reviewed a separate plan to plant 25 crore trees over the next five years as part of a broader environmental initiative.
Experts say restoring rivers, canals and wetlands is crucial for Bangladesh, where many waterways have become silted up or encroached upon over the years. Reviving these channels could improve irrigation, reduce flooding in both rural and urban areas and strengthen climate resilience.
He said Bangladesh had previously seen significant progress through canal excavation initiatives during the tenure of former President Ziaur Rahman.
“During President Ziaur Rahman’s time, canal excavation became almost a revolution in the country. But for many years we have suffered because canals were not excavated. As a result, people face waterlogging, many water bodies remain dry and irrigation facilities are limited,” the minister said.
According to him, reviving canal excavation was included in the election manifesto ahead of the 13th National Parliamentary Election. The government now plans to reintroduce the initiative on a national scale so that communities across the country can benefit.
“We discussed the issue in today’s meeting. It has been decided that four ministries will work together on the programme,” he said.
The ministries involved are the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Local Government, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief. Officials from these ministries are expected to hold further discussions and finalise the implementation strategy.
“We will meet again and within the next week we expect to decide when the work will start and how we can turn canal excavation into a nationwide movement,” the minister added.
