The Padma Barrage Project has received final approval from the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) at its meeting chaired by Prime Minister and ECNEC Chair Tareq Rahman on Wednesday at the Secretariat. The first phase of the project, proposed by the Ministry of Water Resources, will be implemented by the Bangladesh Water Development Board between this year and June 2033 at a cost of Tk 344.97 billion, fully funded by the government. The total estimated cost of the entire project is Tk 504.43 billion.

According to planning commission sources, the project aims to mitigate dry-season water shortages caused by the Farakka Barrage by storing about 2,900 million cubic meters of water in the Padma River. The stored water will help revive five rivers—Hisna-Mathabhanga, Gorai-Madhumati, Chandana-Barasia, Baral, and Ichamati—by supplying around 800 cubic meters per second during the dry season. The first phase includes constructing a 2.1-kilometer barrage at Pangsha in Rajbari with 78 spillways, 18 under-sluice gates, two fish passes, and a navigation lock.

The project is expected to enhance agriculture and fisheries production and benefit 19 districts across four divisions in its initial phase, with further expansion planned in later stages.