Padma Barrage project gets final approval

The proposed Padma Barrage Project has received final approval from the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), according to officials.

The project, with an estimated cost of Tk 33,474.45 crore, was approved in a meeting held at the Cabinet Room of the Secretariat on Wednesday (May 13).

The meeting was chaired by the Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

A total of 16 development projects were placed at the ECNEC meeting, with the Padma Barrage project listed as number 11. The project had been presented several times in previous ECNEC meetings but was not approved earlier.

Officials said the approved project aims to store and regulate water in the Padma River during the dry season to restore freshwater flow.

The implementation period is scheduled from July 2026 to June 2033.

According to sources, the project could directly benefit around 37 percent of the country’s population by reducing salinity, reviving dying rivers, and improving agriculture, fisheries, and the environment.

Experts also note that the project is linked to long-standing concerns over reduced water flow in the Padma River following the construction of India’s Farakka Barrage in the 1970s.

The upstream diversion of water has significantly reduced dry-season flow in Bangladesh, contributing to increased salinity in the southwest region and affecting agriculture, fisheries, navigation, drinking water supply, and the Sundarbans ecosystem.

However, the project faces geopolitical uncertainty related to water-sharing arrangements, as the 1996 Ganges Water Treaty is set to expire in December this year.