The government has approved construction of the Padma Barrage at Pangsha in Rajbari district, 46 years after the foundation of the Ganga Dam project was laid at Moslempur in Veramara, Kushtia. Residents of Veramara have expressed anger and demanded reconsideration of the decision to exclude their area. According to the Water Resources Ministry, the main barrage will be 2.1 kilometers long with 78 spillway gates, 18 under-sluice gates, and one navigation lock. A railway bridge and a 113-megawatt hydropower facility are also planned. The project is expected to benefit 120 upazilas across 19 districts in four divisions.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC), chaired by Prime Minister and ECNEC Chairperson Tarique Rahman, approved the first phase of the Padma Barrage project at a cost of Tk 34,497 crore. The total master plan involves Tk 50,443 crore in two phases. The original Ganga Dam project, inaugurated in 1980, aimed to provide irrigation, flood control, and environmental benefits to southwestern and northern Bangladesh.

Officials noted that the decision comes as the Ganges water-sharing treaty with India is set to expire in December, making the new barrage strategically significant for Bangladesh.