Tarique Rahman Pledges To Implement Teesta Barrage Master Plan At Any Cost

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman pledged in parliament to implement the Teesta Barrage Master Plan "at any cost" as a national priority to ensure water security, support agriculture and improve livelihoods in northern Bangladesh.

“News Flash RANGPUR, June 19, 2026 (BSS) - Water Resources Minister Md Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee has said initiatives have been taken to get the Teesta Master Plan (TMP) project passed by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) soon”

Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)

Tarique said the government is committed to addressing long-standing water management challenges through major investments in rivers, canals and irrigation infrastructure, and he linked the Teesta effort to the Padma Barrage plan to store excess monsoon water for the dry season.

Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS)

He said the government has started dredging and re-excavating rivers and canals across the country, with a plan to excavate and re-excavate 20,000 kilometres of canals over the next five years and around 900 kilometres already excavated or re-excavated over the past three months.

In a separate parliamentary discussion, Water Resources Minister Md Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee said the government is firmly committed to implementing the Teesta Master Plan to ensure a permanent solution to the Teesta River's problems and transform the economy of the country's northwestern region.

Anee said China has assured full technical support for the initiative, and he quoted the prime minister’s instruction that work on implementing the Teesta Master Plan would move forward during the current fiscal year.

Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Annie said the Teesta Master Plan will soon be approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), "just as the Padma Barrage project was approved."

Speaking at an exchange-of-views meeting in Goddimari of Hatibandha upazila in Lalmonirhat, the minister said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman made a commitment before the nation while addressing the ‘Jago Bahe’ (Save the Teesta River) movement ahead of the election.

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Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu said implementing the Teesta Master Plan would require approximately Tk 120-130 billion (12,000-13,000) and argued, "We can implement it using our own government funds."

BSS said Anee told residents in Rangpur that initiatives have been taken to get the Teesta Master Plan passed by ECNEC soon, adding that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has considered the TMP as a priority project around the Teesta River.

BSS also quoted Anee saying, "We are moving quickly to implement the TMP, which is much awaited by the people of the northern region," while describing complete domestic financing and domestic and foreign technical assistance.

Anee told parliament that millions of people continue to struggle with river erosion, water scarcity and floods, and he said those living along nearly 4,000 kilometres of erosion-prone riverbanks, including the Teesta, Padma, Meghna, Jamuna and Brahmaputra, face constant uncertainty.

“Water Resources Minister Md Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee today (28 June) said the government is firmly committed to implementing the Teesta Master Plan to ensure a permanent solution to the Teesta River's problems and transform the economy of the country's northwestern region, adding that China has assured full technical support for the initiative”

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He said he met Prime Minister Tarique Rahman before visiting the Teesta basin on 19 July, and the prime minister directed him to assure the nearly 20 million people living along the Teesta that "we will move ahead with its implementation during this fiscal year."

Anee said China has pledged to support the Teesta project and cooperate in improving Bangladesh's overall river management system, and he said China has agreed to provide the necessary technical assistance for implementing the Teesta Master Plan.

In Rangpur, BSS quoted Disaster Management and Relief Minister Asadul Habib Dulu telling people on the Teesta riverbanks not to listen to controversies about the TMP, saying, "Of course, we will succeed," while adding that the prime minister has taken up the TMP very seriously.

The Daily Star said Tarique described water as one of the biggest concerns in the northern districts, particularly the Rajshahi and Rangpur regions, where lawmakers regularly raise issues relating to the Padma and Teesta rivers.