PM to launch nationwide canal excavation from Dinajpur Monday

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will inaugurate a nationwide programme tomorrow morning to excavate and re-excavate rivers, canals and water bodies aimed at improving irrigation, boosting agricultural production and strengthening water management.

The prime minister will formally launch excavation of 53 canals across the country by initiating the excavation work of a canal at Kaharole upazila in Dinajpur district.

Prime Minister's Press Secretary Saleh Shibly said on Sunday that the premier will visit Dinajpur district on Monday to inaugurate the nationwide canal excavation and re-excavation programme.

He said Tarique will reach Saidpur Airport by air from the capital city in the morning and then he will go to the Balrampur Sahapara area in Kaharole upazila of Dinajpur district by road to launch the programme.

Saidpur political district BNP President Abdul Gafur Sarker said the prime minister will inaugurate the nationwide excavation and re-excavation of 53 canals simultaneously by opening re-excavation work of a 12-kilometre canal at the Balrampur Sahapara area in Dinajpur.

Later, the premier will address a rally there.

Abdul Gafur said after the inauguration ceremony, Tarique will visit the Faridpur graveyard in Dinajpur district town and offer ziarat at graves of his grandfather late Md Iskander Majumder, grandmother late Taiba Majumder and aunt Khurshid Jahan Haque (Chocolate) and close relatives there.

Later, the premier will participate in an iftar with local dignitaries and political leaders.

The government has taken the canal re-excavation programme as per the BNP's election promise.

Many canals dug during the tenure of late president Ziaur Rahman have now been filled in. Through the re-excavation of these canals, initiatives have been taken to facilitate the irrigation system, fish farming, duck farming, and strengthen the canal-dependent economy.

After inspecting the Sahapara-Balrampur canal on Friday afternoon, Women and Child Affairs and Social Welfare Minister AZM Zahid Hossain said that the excavation of this 12-kilometre-long canal in Sahapara will benefit about 350,000 people.

It will provide protection from additional floods and provide irrigation facilities during the dry season, he added.

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Noting that the programme will be implemented in coordination with the Ministry of Water Resources, the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief and the BADC, Zahid said not only excavation, but also canal bank protection, dam construction and tree plantation programms will be taken up.

Arrangements will be made to use the canal water scientifically, so that agricultural production increases and the economic condition of the local people improves, he added.