Padma Barrage Project to Begin Soon, Set to Benefit 70 Million People
Water Resources Minister Shaheed Uddin Chowdhury Anee has said work on the first phase of the Padma Barrage project will be inaugurated in January or February next year, depending on Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s availability. Around 70 million people across the country will benefit from the project once it is implemented.
He made the remarks while inspecting the Padma Barrage project site at Satbaria in Sujanagar, Pabna, on Sunday afternoon. The minister said people living along the Padma River had long been struggling with river erosion, floods and other natural challenges. The project was taken up to improve living standards in these areas, promote agricultural development and support the country’s economic progress.
He said the government would implement the project by giving the highest priority to public interests. Shaheed Uddin Chowdhury Anee also described the Padma Barrage as one of the country’s largest development projects, saying people across a vast area, including the southwestern region, would benefit from it.
He said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had taken the initiative to implement the project, which was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) two and a half months after the election.
According to the plan, the first phase of the project is estimated to cost Tk 35,000 crore, while the second phase is expected to cost Tk 50,000–55,000 crore. Water Resources State Minister Farhad Hossain Azad, Pabna-5 MP Advocate Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas, Pabna-2 MP AKM Selim Reza Habib, reserved-seat MP for Pabna and Sirajganj Arifa Sultana Ruma, Padma Barrage Project Director Hasan Mahmud, Deputy Commissioner Aminul Islam and Superintendent of Police Abu Ashraf were present during the visit.
