State Minister for Social Welfare Farzana Sharmin Putul said the BNP government has started implementing promises made to the people during the 13th parliamentary election, even before completing its first month in office. She made the remarks on Monday, March 16, during the inauguration of the Padmakol canal excavation program in Chatmohar, Pabna. The initiatives already underway include distribution of family cards, honorarium allowances for imams and priests, and agricultural loan waivers.

Putul stated that agriculture and farmers are the driving forces of the national economy, and the canal excavation aims to revive irrigation systems once introduced by the late President Ziaur Rahman. His son Tarique Rahman has now launched a program to rejuvenate 54 canals across the country to improve irrigation and rural livelihoods. The minister added that restoring dead canals will increase surface water, reduce dependence on groundwater, and help mitigate droughts, floods, and waterlogging.

The event was chaired by Pabna Deputy Commissioner Dr. Shahed Mostafa and attended by local MPs, officials, and BNP leaders. The Water Development Board said the 4-kilometer canal will connect to the Ichamati River and benefit surrounding farmland, with plans to excavate 106 more canals in Pabna.