Teesta master plan at any cost

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Monday reaffirmed his government’s commitment to implementing the Teesta Barrage Master Plan on a national priority basis, declaring that the project would be carried out “at any cost” to address chronic water shortages and meet the long-standing demands of people in the country’s northern region.

Speaking during the general discussion on the proposed FY2026-27 budget in Parliament on Sunday, with Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad in the chair, the prime minister outlined the government’s long-term reform agenda covering the economy, agriculture, education, energy and creative economy sectors.

“On the basis of national priority, this government will implement the Teesta Barrage Master Plan at any cost, in-shaa Allah,” Tarique told the House.

He said the government was treating concerns over water scarcity and the Teesta River raised by lawmakers and residents of Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions with utmost seriousness and was determined to find a permanent solution.

Describing water as one of the biggest challenges facing northern Bangladesh, the prime minister noted that lawmakers from the region regularly highlighted problems related to the Teesta and Padma rivers.

Ensuring year-round water availability for agriculture, he said, remains a key government priority.

Tarique also highlighted plans to construct the Padma Barrage, aimed at conserving excess monsoon water for use during the dry season.

“Through the Padma Barrage, we will preserve surplus water during the monsoon so that it can be supplied to farmers and other users throughout the dry months and the rest of the year,” he said.

The prime minister observed that Bangladesh had long suffered from the absence of an integrated approach to river management, water conservation, flood control and inter-river connectivity.

He said the loss of navigability in many rivers over the years had adversely affected irrigation and water availability.

“I have visited areas where there is water everywhere during the monsoon, yet farmers just a short distance away cannot irrigate their land because of water shortages,” he said.

To tackle these challenges, the government has launched extensive dredging and re-excavation programmes across the country.

Tarique said authorities planned to excavate and re-excavate 20,000 kilometres of canals over the next five years to improve water flow, irrigation and flood management.

According to the prime minister, around 900 kilometres of canals have already been excavated or re-excavated during the past three months.

“We have received some complaints in certain areas. We are reviewing those issues and will take further action where necessary,” he added.

The Teesta initiative has gained momentum amid growing Bangladesh-China cooperation in water resource management.

During Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s recent visit to Beijing, Dhaka and Beijing agreed to deepen collaboration in integrated water resources management, hydrological forecasting, flood prevention, disaster reduction, river dredging and technology sharing.

Under a joint communiqué issued following the visit, China pledged support for the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project (TRCMRP), including assistance in expediting feasibility studies and related technical work.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun later described the Teesta project as a livelihood-focused initiative that Bangladesh attaches great importance to, reiterating Beijing’s willingness to provide support.

The comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation of the Teesta River is a livelihood project the “Bangladeshi side attaches high importance to. China is ready to do what it can to support this project,” Guo said.

He also stressed that China-Bangladesh cooperation does not target any third party and should remain free from external influence.

During talks with Chinese Minister of Water Resources Li Guoying in Beijing, Prime Minister Tarique sought Chinese assistance in strengthening Bangladesh’s water management capacity and expressed hope for technical support in implementing the long-discussed Teesta River management project.

The discussions also covered flood control, river erosion prevention, irrigation, navigation and environmental protection, reflecting the growing partnership between the two countries in addressing shared water management challenges.