Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee on Saturday said the government would approve the Teesta mega project after the experts report is received.
“We’ve started talking with experts and will consult more with the experts. Once the expert team provides us with their opinion on how the Teesta mega project should be implemented, then we will take the final decision to implement it for the sake of the national interest,” he said.
The Minister made the remarks, while addressing a discussion arranged by a non-government organisation ‘Nongor Trust’ at the National Press Club here, marking National River Day 2026.
He said his ministry had already begun consultations with experts and would continue discussions more before approving the project.
Anee cited that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had repeatedly committed to implementing the Teesta project both before and after the election.
However, he stressed that the project would be implemented carefully and responsibly. “Anything cannot be done whimsically in the Teesta project. Whatever we do, we will do so with proper understanding and consideration for the people living along the Teesta basin, the surrounding districts, and the country as a whole,” he added.
Noting that Bangladesh is a riverine country where the fate of the nation is deeply connected with its rivers, the minister said, “If rivers survive, the country will survive.”
He said Bangladesh has nearly 1,415 small and large rivers, each of which should be treated as a living entity.
The Water Resources Minister stressed the need to increase people's engagement in river management.
He said over the next five years, around 20,000 kilometres of canals, rivers, and reservoirs would be excavated and re-excavated across the country.
Alongside excavation work, the government would also take steps to prevent illegal encroachment and pollution of canals and rivers, he added.
About the recently approved Padma Barrage project, Anee said construction of the barrage would help protect livelihoods, agriculture, fisheries, and environmental balance in 24 districts in the country’s southwestern and northwestern regions as the project would restore navigability in rivers in these regions.
Lawmaker Anisur Rahman Khokon (Madaripur-3) and BGC Trust University Bangladesh Vice-Chancellor Prof Monjurul Kibria, among others, were present at the discussion, presided over by Nongor Trust Chairman Suman Shams.