Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged all concerned to create reservoirs to harvest rainwater during monsoon to utilize it for the development of Bangladesh.
"We have to work out a plan for creating ways to harvest the water that we get during monsoon," she said on Tuesday.
Sheikh Hasina made the statement while addressing a function organized by Water Resources Ministry at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre, marking the World Water Day 2018.
She said the water preservation capacity of Bangladesh's rivers has decreased due to siltation. "Riverbeds get inflated due to siltation. This is how they lose their navigability, but we have to protect our rivers."
The prime minister said the rivers could retain their navigability with through the planned dredging which will be beneficial for Bangladesh.
"I always think that through dredging we can increase the navigability of the rivers and can preserve the excessive water that comes from Himalaya during the rainy season. The more water we can preserve, the more it will be beneficial for the country," she said.
Talking about seasonal flood, Sheikh Hasina said flood is also needed for Bangladesh.
The prime minister said: "We have to live with flood, but we need to be careful so that this flood does not harm us. We have to utilize the bright side [increasing land fertility] of flood."
She asked the authorities concerned to take plans keeping that view of flood in mind.
"We also have to implement those plans so that we can achieve the desired goal of making Bangladesh a poverty and hunger free country as dreamt by Bangabandhu," she said.
Sheikh Hasina said there should always be preparations to face the challenges of nature as the people of Bangladesh have to live with it.
Thursday, June 04, 2026
