Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee said a nationwide programme to excavate and re-excavate rivers, canals, and other water bodies will begin soon and is expected to show visible progress within a maximum of 180 days.

He made the remarks on Thursday (February 19) after an inter-ministerial meeting at the Secretariat, chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, on a five-year plan to plant 250 million trees and implement the river, canal, and other water body excavation and re-excavation programme nationwide.

The minister said former president Ziaur Rahman had turned canal excavation into a “major revolution” in Bangladesh during his lifetime. “For a long time, people have suffered due to the absence of canal excavation, leading to waterlogging, drying up of water bodies, and inadequate irrigation facilities. We, people of Bangladesh, are deprived of these facilities,” he said.

He added that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had repeatedly pledged before the election, in line with the party’s manifesto, to revive the canal excavation process through re-excavation so that people across the country can benefit.

Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee said a decision was taken at the meeting for four ministries — the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Local Government, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Ministry of Disaster Management — to hold further discussions next week. “Based on that discussion, we’ll determine how to implement the canal excavation programme on a large scale and ensure its success. Our activities under the 180-day plan will begin accordingly,” he said.

When asked whether the programme would start within 180 days, the minister replied, “We’ll begin soon and make every effort to ensure visible progress within 180 days. A decision on the start date will be taken within a week.”