The government has announced a series of major steps for river dredging, flood control, river restoration, and water resource development, with the ambitious Padma Barrage Project emerging as a key component of its long-term strategy.
Presenting the proposed budget for FY2026–27 in Parliament on Thursday, Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said the government is implementing programmes to strengthen irrigation, control floods, prevent riverbank erosion, reclaim land, improve drainage systems, reduce waterlogging, and combat salinity in coastal regions.
Under the plan, 20,000 kilometres of rivers, canals, and water bodies will be excavated and re-excavated over the next five years. Excavation work on 6,598 kilometres of canals is already underway. The government also plans to construct, reconstruct, and repair 309 kilometres of embankments and flood walls during FY2026–27, while improving navigability and removing shoals from 484 kilometres of waterways.
The minister said a nationwide river restoration programme will restore at least one river or water body in each division. Restoration efforts are currently underway in several rivers, including the Dhaleshwari River, Bakkhali River and Barnoi River.
A major highlight of the budget is the ECNEC-approved Padma Barrage Project, which will be implemented over the next seven years. The project is expected to bring significant improvements in agriculture, irrigation, environmental conservation, and integrated water management across southwestern Bangladesh. Covering 120 upazilas in 19 districts under four divisions, the project is projected to directly benefit nearly 37 percent of the country's population and open a new chapter in sustainable water resource management.