Tangail: Member of Parliament for Tangail-2 (Bhuiyanpur-Gopalpur) and former deputy education minister Abdus Salam Pintu has announced an initiative to reclaim canals in the region by removing illegal encroachments and restoring water flow. Speaking to journalists on Sunday afternoon after inaugurating a canal re-excavation programme, Pintu said that many canals in Bhuiyanpur and Gopalpur, including Gobindasi canal, had become clogged due to negligence and waste dumping during the previous government’s tenure. ‘Most canals have lost their natural flow and have effectively turned into dumping grounds,’ he said.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the re-excavation work is being carried out under a government employment programme for the poor. Initial work has already begun in the Bharai area of Aloya union and the Khupibari area of Gobindasi union, with a dedicated project launched for the Gobindasi Bazar canal.
Pintu also highlighted past development efforts, saying that the canal in Gobindasi Bazar was expanded during the regime of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, when he served as deputy minister of education. At that time, the canal’s connection to the Jamuna River enabled local farmers to benefit from improved irrigation.
He emphasized that restoring the canals would require collective cooperation from the local community, alongside government efforts to remove encroachers and rehabilitate waterways. Local officials and political leaders, including the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md. Mahbub Hasan and other officials and party representatives, were present at the programme.