Minister for Water Resources Md Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee spoke today in the Jatiya Sangsad session. Photo: Video Screenshot

SANGSAD BHABAN, April 1, 2026 (BSS) - The government has set a target to re-excavate 318.639 kilometers of canals under the Bangladesh Water Development Board in the rest of the period for the current fiscal year to enhance irrigation and drainage facilities in agricultural lands.

Minister for Water Resources Md Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee informed this to the Jatiya Sangsad today while replying to a starred question from Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker Shahjahan Chowdhury (Chattogram-15).

The minister said the canal re-excavation programme aims to improve the country’s agriculture, irrigation and drainage systems and ensure better water management across farming areas.

He said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman inaugurated the nationwide canal excavation and re-excavation programme on March 16, 2026, at Balarampur in Kaharole upazila of Dinajpur district as part of the government’s election commitment to excavate rivers, canals and water bodies across the country.

Anee said under the government’s 180-day programme, the Ministry of Water Resources, the Local Government Division and Ministry of Agriculture will excavate or re-excavate 1,204 kilometres of canals by June 2026.

Besides, the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief will re-excavate and renovate another 1,500 kilometres of canals by June 2026 through Food for Work (Kabikha), Cash for Work (Kabita) and Test Relief (TR) programmes.

The minister added that in line with the government’s election manifesto, the remaining canal excavation and re-excavation works will be carried out through new and ongoing projects of the relevant ministries to achieve the target of excavating and re-excavating 20,000 kilometres of canals nationwide.