Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie has said that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will formally inaugurate the country’s first canal re-excavation program on 16 March in the Sahapara area of Kaharol Upazila in Dinajpur district. The project will involve the re-excavation of a canal at a cost of Tk 5 crore.
The minister made these remarks on Sunday afternoon while addressing a meeting at the Dinajpur Deputy Commissioner’s Office after inspecting the canal at Balarampur Sahapara in Kaharol Upazila.
Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie said that the government will move forward with this important initiative of canal excavation in response to the demands of the people. He recalled that BNP founder and martyred President Ziaur Rahman had earlier taken initiatives to excavate abandoned water bodies and rivers across the country to maintain environmental balance and increase agricultural production.
He further said that after assuming responsibility for governing the country, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has placed special emphasis on canal excavation to ensure public welfare and address climate-related challenges. According to the plan, the government has adopted a program to excavate and re-excavate 20,000 kilometers of canals across the country within the next five years.
The minister added that under the directives of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the government will continue implementing plans to accelerate canal excavation activities. By retaining water through canal excavation, people across the country will benefit from easier irrigation facilities, which will help increase agricultural production. In particular, the re-excavation of this canal will help eliminate long-standing waterlogging in the area.
The preparatory meeting regarding the Prime Minister’s upcoming visit to Dinajpur was held in the conference room of the Dinajpur Deputy Commissioner’s Office. State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad also spoke as a special guest at the meeting.
The meeting was chaired by Dinajpur Deputy Commissioner Rafiqul Islam. Among others present were Member of Parliament from Dinajpur-1 Manjurul Islam, Member of Parliament from Dinajpur-2 Sadiq Riaz Chowdhury Pinak, Member of Parliament from Dinajpur-3 (Sadar) Jahangir Alam, leaders of Dinajpur District BNP, Water Resources Secretary Dr. A. K. M. Shahabuddin, and officials from various government departments of the district