The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) of Bangladesh has approved the Padma Barrage project, a major water-management scheme estimated to cost 345 billion taka. The decision was taken at an ECNEC meeting chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, with senior cabinet members in attendance, according to official reports.
The barrage is planned across the Padma River at Oangsha point in Rajbari district. Its primary purpose is to capture and store water during the dry season and distribute it to agricultural land through a network of canals. Officials and media outlets say the project aims to protect farming, improve irrigation, maintain river navigability, check salinity intrusion, bolster fisheries, and help restore ecological balance in the Sundarbans.
Discussions around a Padma barrage date back to the 1960s, driven by recurring water shortages and environmental degradation in Bangladesh’s southwest. Financial constraints prevented earlier implementation, but the government said the project will be financed from domestic resources.
While the approval marks a major step forward, no firm start date has been announced. Observers expect planning and construction could take roughly a decade to complete.
Planners and advocates frame the barrage as a measure to counter downstream impacts attributed to upstream infrastructure, including reduced dry-season flows, increased salinity, and desertification. The project was recommended by the Planning Commission and presented to ECNEC as part of a broader effort to revive river systems, reduce salinity intrusion in the southwest, improve irrigation, and support environmental recovery in coastal regions.
The government says the barrage will also help maintain navigation channels and support local fisheries by regulating flows and salinity. Implementation details, environmental assessments, and a construction timeline are expected to follow as the project moves into its next phases. Media outlets reported the ECNEC decision via syndicated feeds.
