Govt will begin work on Teesta project: PM

After the Padma Barrage project was approved last week, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman yesterday announced that the BNP government would start work on a Teesta management project as well to address water shortages, protect agriculture, and reduce climate-related risks.

“The BNP government will begin work on the Padma Barrage and, In sha Allah, also on the Teesta Barrage,” he told a gathering after laying the foundation stone of the National Disaster Management Research and Training Institute in Gazipur.

Tarique said the government has already decided to construct the Padma Barrage in the country’s northern and southern regions. “We want to construct this barrage so that people and farmers in our country can get water on time during both monsoon and dry seasons.”

He also warned that salinity in the south, including the Sundarbans, is worsening due to the Farakka Barrage. “As a result, many plants are being damaged, while various animals are becoming extinct. Therefore, we must construct the barrage and preserve excess monsoon water for use during the dry season.”

Highlighting climate change and environmental degradation, the premier noted declining winter intensity, rapid urbanisation, and deforestation in Cox’s Bazar due to Rohingya shelters and road projects.

Referring to a proposed road from Cox’s Bazar to Ukhiya, Tarique said he had asked the minister to redesign it to avoid cutting 3,000 trees along the beach.

He also pointed to groundwater depletion in Dhaka, saying farmers’ reliance on deep tube wells is draining aquifers. Tarique stressed the need to excavate canals, linking it to agriculture and disaster resilience

He said the new institute will research changing weather patterns and train people on disaster preparedness. “We cannot stop disasters, but we can raise awareness and protect resources to reduce suffering.”

Disaster Management Minister Asadul Habib Dulu, State Minister M Iqbal Hossain and senior officials also spoke at the event. A documentary was screened, and a commemorative crest was presented to the prime minister.

Earlier in the day, PM Tarique attended the 46th National Rally of the Bangladesh Ansar and Village Defence Party (VDP) at the Ansar-VDP Academy in the district’s Kaliakair upazila in the morning.

There he called upon the members of Bangladesh Ansar and VDP to perform their duties with utmost discipline and strictly following the chain of command.