State Minister for Water Resources Farhad Hossain Azad announced that the government has undertaken an initiative to excavate 20,000 kilometers of canals across Bangladesh. As part of this program, he visited a 12-kilometer canal in Kaharol upazila of Dinajpur district on Thursday afternoon. Speaking to journalists after the visit, he said the excavation of this canal would bring about 6,000 bighas of land under cultivation, boosting agricultural production and directly benefiting farmers.

The minister stated that the initiative aligns with the election manifesto announced by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, describing the project as evidence of its implementation. He noted that past canal and river excavation efforts suffered from a lack of coordination among ministries. Recently, a coordination meeting was held with multiple ministries, resulting in the formation of a joint team to ensure canals do not refill in the future. Plans also include tree planting along canal banks and other protective measures.

Azad added that the program follows the path set by former President Ziaur Rahman, who had earlier initiated canal excavation projects.