Dhaka: Water Resources Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan emphasized that constructing sustainable submersible dams in the haor region could boost agricultural production, enhance food security, and improve the quality of life for people in the project area. She made these remarks during a meeting with a delegation from the Japan International Cooperation Agency’s (JICA) South Asia wing at the ministry’s conference room.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the meeting included a seven-member JICA delegation led by Teruaki Fujii, Senior Deputy Director of the South Asia wing. Rizwana mentioned that discussions with JICA regarding the dam protection project are nearing completion. The project’s primary goal, titled “Flood Management and Quality of Life Improvement in Haor Areas,” is to safeguard Boro rice from early floods through effective flood management in the haor regions.
Under the Haor Area Resilience and Development (HARD) Project (Haor Phase-2), the districts of Sylhet, Sunamganj, Habiganj, Kishoreganj, and Netrokona have been selected as project areas for haor dam protection. The project initially includes 11 haors, distributed across these districts, with specific numbers in each.
The project proposes various infrastructure developments, including constructing 450.19 kilometers of submerged dams, re-excavating 77.700 kilometers of canals or rivers, and establishing multiple irrigation inlets, flood fuses, drainage outlets, and other facilities. The Bangladesh Water Development Board will implement the project, with an estimated cost of Taka 2248.12 crore. Of this, the Government of Bangladesh will provide Taka 584.12 crore, covering 26% of the total cost, while project assistance from JICA will cover Taka 1664 crore, equating to 74% of the total cost. The project is slated to run from July 2026 to June 2033 and is expected to be presented to ECNEC in March 2026.
Rizwana expressed that the Ministry of Water Resources is committed to implementing this project through the Bangladesh Water Development Board to protect haor crops from flood damage and support the farmers. She is optimistic that with JICA’s financial backing, constructing submersible dams in 11 haors will mitigate agricultural production damage in the region.
The project is anticipated to significantly enhance the quality of life for residents of the haor areas. The meeting was attended by several key officials, including Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources Md. Mokabbir Hossain, Joint Secretary (Planning) Dipanwita Shaha, Deputy Secretary (Planning) Mohammed Mobassherul Islam, Superintendent Engineer of the Water Development Board Head Office Robin Kumar Biswas, Program Officer of the JICA South Asia Division Oyama Erina, and Senior Deputy Director of the Infrastructure Engineering Division Omagari Hideo.