The Planning Ministry of Bangladesh has finalized preparations to present 16 development projects worth about Tk 24,855 crore at the second meeting of the new government’s Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Wednesday. Among these, the long-anticipated Padma Barrage project will be tabled for approval under the chairmanship of Prime Minister and ECNEC Chair Tareq Rahman. The Water Resources Ministry proposed the first phase of the Padma Barrage project, estimated at Tk 50,443.64 crore, to be implemented by the Bangladesh Water Development Board by June 2033, with full funding from the government.

Officials said the project aims to mitigate dry-season water shortages caused by the Farakka Barrage. The first phase includes constructing a 2.1-kilometer barrage at Pangsha in Rajbari with 78 spillways, 18 sluice gates, two fish passes, and a navigation lock. It will store about 2,900 million cubic meters of water to revive five rivers and support irrigation, fisheries, and hydropower generation. The project is expected to benefit 19 districts across four divisions and create nearly 928,000 permanent jobs.

The Padma Barrage concept dates back over two decades, with multiple feasibility studies conducted since the 1960s, culminating in a detailed assessment completed in 2013.