PM to visit Chandpur on May 16, Feni on May 25

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is going on a field visit with the aim of radically changing the country's water resources management and agricultural sector. He will visit Chandpur on May 16 and Feni on May 25. Water Resources Minister Md. Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie informed reporters after a high-level meeting with the Prime Minister on Wednesday (May 6).

It has been reported that the Prime Minister's visit will officially inaugurate a nationwide canal excavation project as part of the government's special development program.

After the meeting, the Water Resources Minister said that the current government is working with a huge target of digging 20,000 kilometers of canals across the country. Extensive work is currently underway at the field level to achieve this target. This project will play a special role in expanding irrigation facilities in agriculture and resolving waterlogging.

One of the main topics discussed at the meeting was the long-awaited 'Padma Barrage' project. In this context, Minister Annie said, Padma Barrage is the need of the hour for protecting water resources of Bangladesh and developing agriculture. The government is going to take a final decision on this very soon and the project will be presented in the ECNEC meeting for approval. If it is implemented, the flow of water in the rivers of the southwestern part of the country will increase and salinity will be removed.

Detailed discussions were also held with the Prime Minister on the Teesta Master Plan to change the fate of the people of the northern region. The Water Resources Minister said that the work on the initial stages of this master plan has already started. In particular, a specific plan was discussed regarding which urgent works will be completed in the next 180 days. The government is giving top priority to this master plan for river governance and improving the quality of life of the people living along the banks.