The Parliament on Tuesday passed the Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Conservation Bill, 2026, a landmark piece of legislation aimed at the protection, conservation, and sustainable development of the country's unique haor ecosystems and wetlands.
The bill, placed and moved by the Water Resources Minister Md. Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee, was passed by voice vote.
It seeks to fulfill the state's constitutional obligation under Article 18A to protect biodiversity and natural resources for present and future citizens, while also complying with a High Court directive issued in 2020.
Under the proposed law, the existing Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Development Department will be formally regularized as a permanent body under the Ministry of Water Resources.
Headed by a Director General appointed by the government, the department will be headquartered in Dhaka with the authority to open regional offices in haor-prone districts.
The proposed Act imposes strict bans on activities that threaten the delicate balance of wetlands.
Prohibited actions include illegal encroachment, unauthorized filling or excavation of haors and kanda (elevated lands), and the construction of any infrastructure that hinders the natural flow of water.
It also bans activities leading to the contamination of water, soil, and the environment. Furthermore, the extraction of sand, stones, or minerals without prior approval is prohibited, as is the hunting of migratory birds, destruction of swamp forests, and the use of banned nets or electric shocks for fishing.
To curb unplanned urbanization and infrastructure, the bill mandates that any government, private, or autonomous body must seek a formal opinion from the Department before initiating development projects within haors or wetland boundaries.
The Department will assess whether such projects damage the environment or biodiversity, obstruct natural water flow, adversely affect local livelihoods, or damage existing disaster management infrastructure.
However, the bill provides an exemption for the repair and maintenance of existing flood control embankments.
The government now holds the authority to issue Protection Orders for any wetland where biodiversity or specific species are under threat due to human intervention. Furthermore, as per the Bill the government can declare specific haors as Protected Areas, setting clear boundaries and restrictions on human activity to ensure ecosystem recovery.
The law introduces stringent legal consequences for violations. The Department’s Director General has the power to determine the financial value of ecological damage caused by individuals or institutions and direct them to pay compensation or take corrective measures.
Failure to comply can lead to criminal prosecution. Offenses under this Act may be tried via Mobile Courts under the Mobile Court Act, 2009.
The bill also allows for a maximum penalty of two years of imprisonment or a fine of Taka 2 lakh, or both, for specific offenses defined under future rules.
In the objective of the Bill, the Minister said that in order to conserve the biodiversity of the vast haor and wetland areas in the northeastern part of Bangladesh, the 'Haor Development Board' was established in 1977 to bring haors under the umbrella of integrated management, infrastructure development, irrigation system, flood control, fisheries development and agricultural expansion.
Later, on July 24, 2016, the Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Development Department was established through a gazette notification by the Ministry of Water Resources.
After the establishment of the department, the inadequacy of the legal framework was felt to prevent uncontrolled development of the haor area, unplanned construction of dams, creation of obstacles in the river channel, uncontrolled use of poisons and pesticides and adverse effects of tourism.
According to Article 18A of the Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, the state has the obligation to conserve biodiversity, wetlands and natural resources.
Furthermore, in 2020, in Writ Petition No. 1683/2014 (Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) vs. Bangladesh Government and Others), the Hon'ble High Court Division directed the expeditious enactment of the Wetland Protection, Development and Management Act.
In the above context, the Minister said, it is necessary to enact the 'Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Conservation Act, 2026' bill in order to protect the environment, habitat, biodiversity and ecosystem of haors and wetland areas.