Dinajpur: Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is set to visit Dinajpur on Monday to inaugurate a nationwide canal excavation and re-excavation programme aimed at improving irrigation, boosting agricultural production, and creating rural employment. This will mark his first visit outside the capital since assuming office as Prime Minister on February 17.
According to United News of Bangladesh, after introducing the Family Card programme, the government is now launching the canal excavation programme to fulfill another election pledge of BNP. Tarique Rahman will arrive at Syedpur Airport at 10:15am from Dhaka by air, as confirmed by Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary Hasan Shiplu.
From the airport, the Prime Minister will travel by road to Balrampur Sahapara area in Kaharole upazila of Dinajpur. He will formally inaugurate the nationwide canal excavation and re-excavation programme-2026 by re-excavating the Sahapara canal, marking the start of simultaneous activities across the country. A public meeting is scheduled at Sahapara around 12:30pm.
Later in the day, the Prime Minister will offer fateha at the graves of his relatives at Sheikh Farid Model Graveyard on the outskirts of Dinajpur town. In the evening, he will attend an iftar gathering and view-exchange meeting with distinguished guests and political leaders at Dinajpur Circuit House premises before returning to Dhaka by air at night.
Security forces have taken extensive measures ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit, while preparations, including stage construction and other logistical arrangements, have already been completed. In the first phase, the canal excavation programme will be implemented in 54 districts across the country. On the same day, government officials and parliament members will inaugurate similar activities in the remaining districts.
The Prime Minister’s visit has stirred enthusiasm among BNP leaders, activists, farmers, and people from different walks of life in Dinajpur. Under the government’s plan, about 20,000 kilometres of rivers, canals, water bodies, and reservoirs will be excavated or re-excavated across the country over the next five years. This initiative is expected to improve irrigation facilities, increase agricultural production, and create employment opportunities for rural communities.
Water Resources Minister Md Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee emphasized that the canal excavation programme aims to build a self-reliant Bangladesh, a vision initiated by late President Ziaur Rahman. The minister described the government as people-centric and committed to implementing projects benefiting the country’s people. The government has already taken a 180-day programme as part of the broader plan to excavate 20,000 kilometres of canals across the country within five years.
Women and Children Affairs Minister AZM Zahid Hossain highlighted that canal excavation and re-excavation was a key election pledge of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The minister noted that many canals, originally excavated during the tenure of former President Ziaur Rahman, have become silted over time. Zahid emphasized that re-excavating canals can improve irrigation for farmers, support fisheries, and enhance environmental conditions.