Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee said the BNP-led government has been in charge of running the country for only six months. It should not be expected to resolve all the problems accumulated over 17 years within six months. The government needs time to deliver visible development.

He made the remarks as the chief guest at the inauguration of a cleanliness drive to clean the Rahmatkhali Canal in Lakshmipur Municipality on Friday.

The water resources minister further said the “fascist government” had left state institutions weakened and ineffective. The fragile economy has now recovered to some extent, he said. The present government has adopted specific plans for development activities in various sectors. Implementing these initiatives will take some time, while people have already started benefiting from development in some areas.

Anee Chowdhury said the present government had begun the excavation and re-excavation of 20,000 kilometres of rivers and canals. He said work on the Padma Barrage, a long-standing demand of people in the south-western region, would begin soon. The water resources ministry is also working to implement the Teesta Master Plan, he added.