Why navigability couldn't be restored despite spending billions of taka

Many rivers in Bangladesh require dredging. Numerous rivers are suffering from a lack of navigability. As a result, during the dry season, navigation becomes impossible in these rivers, while in the rainy season, they overflow and cause flooding. A recent survey revealed that the majority of the country's rivers are facing navigability issues. The Old Brahmaputra River has been suffering from such a crisis for a long time. To address this, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) began dredging the river in 2019. However, after six years of dredging, not only has the water flow not improved, but the river’s course has been diverted in at least three places. In some areas, sand from the dredging was dumped directly into the river in an unplanned manner, while in others, the main flow was redirected to occupy land. As a result, hundreds of people have lost homes and farmland due to river erosion.

According to media reports published on Saturday (May 24), the former course of the Brahmaputra, known as the Old Brahmaputra, merges with the Meghna River at Bhairab after passing through Gaibandha, Jamalpur, Sherpur, Mymensingh, and Kishoreganj. It is connected to the Jamuna River in the upstream. According to BIWTA, they are responsible for dredging the entire 227-kilometre stretch of the Old Brahmaputra. Ninety-six dredger machines have been installed at intervals of two to three kilometres across the project area. Currently, dredging is underway in a 90-kilometer stretch within Mymensingh district. Of the total project cost of Tk 2,763 crore, around Tk 1,200 crore has been spent so far. With a two-year extension, the project is now set to be completed in 2027.

Allegations of delays and irregularities in the dredging work have been raised before, but no resolution has followed. It seems less like river dredging and more like a goldmine excavation for a few corrupt individuals — the more they delay and the more irregularities they commit, the more their pockets are filled. Allegations suggest that alongside the destruction of the river, the project has become a festivity of embezzling public funds. Due to indiscriminate sand extraction, river erosion is occurring in various places during the monsoon. Additionally, sand looting is taking place under the protection of local influential individuals. On-site observation shows that in many areas dredged over the past six years, shoals have reappeared. Except during the monsoon, boats cannot navigate most parts of the river. Since the water flow has not increased, in many places the river has turned into a narrow canal after dredging. People, along with domestic animals, are crossing on foot. Furthermore, dredged sand is being dumped right along the riverbank. As a result, rainwater washes it back into the river. Locals complain that despite the government spending a huge amount of money, they are not benefiting from it.

At the time the project was undertaken, it was stated that once dredging was completed, the river would maintain a 10-metre water flow even in the dry season. It would be widened to 300 metres. Ships would be able to navigate, and it could be used as an international waterway. Additionally, fish resources would develop, transforming the lives of people along both banks of the river. But local residents complain that despite dredging continuing year after year at the cost of crores of taka, the navigability crisis has not been resolved. On the contrary, due to the diversion of the old course, many people have lost their homes and agricultural land to the river.

BIWTA must be held accountable for why the navigability of the Old Brahmaputra River could not be restored despite spending crores of taka. Because accountability is not strictly enforced, many government institutions in Bangladesh get away with doing whatever they please. After so many allegations, the public surely has the right to know why the dredging of the Old Brahmaputra is taking so long and why the work being done is yielding no benefits. The government must also compensate those who have suffered due to the diversion of the river’s course.