Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Monday launched a nationwide canal excavation program aimed at restoring a 20,000-kilometre water channel network, drawing renewed attention to Dhaka’s disappearing waterways as experts warn that decades of encroachment and pollution have erased nearly two-thirds of the capital’s canals.
Once a city shaped by rivers, canals and wetlands, Dhaka has lost about 124 kilometres of its canals, severely weakening its natural drainage system and worsening the waterlogging that now affects large parts of the capital even after moderate rainfall.
Research shows the capital once had around 344 kilometres of canals. With approximately 124 kilometres now gone, nearly 64% of the network has been lost over the years.
Historically, this canal network carried rainwater out of the city. Dhaka’s rainwater naturally drains into four surrounding water bodies: the Turag River to the west, the Buriganga River to the south, the Balu River to the east and Tongi Canal to the north. However, multi-storey buildings, markets, roads and even government institutions now stand where many of these canals once flowed.
The disappearance of these waterways has significantly reduced Dhaka’s natural drainage capacity and increased risks during sudden fire incidents, when water access becomes critical.
Nearly two-thirds of the capital’s canal network vanished
According to the Dhaka District Administration, the capital has 50 canals, though the two city corporations recognize 46.
Currently, Dhaka North and Dhaka South City Corporations are responsible for 26 canals, while the remaining canals fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Housing and Public Works and the Bangladesh Water Development Board.
A joint task force formed in 2019 by the National River Conservation Commission, the Dhaka deputy commissioner’s office, Dhaka Wasa, the Department of Environment and the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority reported that only 38 canals remain in Dhaka.
Of these, 26 canals are listed under Dhaka Wasa, while 12 have no designated authority responsible for their maintenance.
The task force identified Gobindapur Canal, Gabtoli Canal, Rayerbazar Canal, Narinda Canal, Dholai Khal, Jolkuri Canal, Shampur Canal, Kodomtoli Canal, Aftabnagar Canal, Gojaria Canal, Atir Canal and Rana Bhola Canal as waterways currently without any authority responsible for their upkeep.
The report also found that at least eight major canals—including Kallyanpur Canal, Ramchandrapur Canal, Hazaribagh Canal, Dholaikhal, Jirani Khal, Rampura Khal, Trimohoni and Nandipara Canal—are struggling to survive.
Field observations indicate that several of Dhaka’s major canals have lost their natural flow due to encroachment, pollution and unplanned development.
Kallyanpur Canal, one of the capital’s largest drainage channels, connects with several other canals and hosts a pumping station installed by the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority. The canal is intersected by the Mohammadpur embankment, but illegal occupation and waste dumping have reduced large parts of it to a polluted drain.
Industrial establishments, including Abul Momen Ltd and Eagle Cement, have reportedly encroached on sections near the embankment.
Ramchandrapur Canal has lost its tidal flow and is now clogged with water hyacinth. Portions of its eastern bank have been occupied by settlements linked to the Muktijoddha Kalyan Samity and facilities under the Dhaka North City Corporation, while nearby housing projects have obstructed sections of the waterway.
Encroachment is also evident along Hazaribagh Canal, where parts of the waterway near the Kamrangirchar embankment have effectively been converted into a road.
Several other canals have similarly lost connectivity.
Dholaikhal, Jirani Khal and Rampura Khal once converged at the Trimohoni point of Nandipara Canal. However, parts of the canal have been occupied for road construction and temporary markets, disrupting water flow.
Begunbari Canal, also known as Rampura Canal, remains relatively free from large-scale land grabbing but is heavily polluted by sewerage lines from areas including Gulshan and Dhanmondi, along with widespread waste dumping.
In Mirpur, a large section of Rupnagar Canal—from BCIC Colony to the Rupnagar project and connected to Digun Canal—has been occupied by housing developments and informal settlements.
Investigations also show that several historic waterways have already disappeared.
Panthapath Canal, which once connected Dhanmondi Lake with Hatirjheel and carried rainwater to Begunbari Canal, now lies buried beneath the box culvert of Panthapath Road.
Paribagh Canal, which once flowed from Shahbagh to Moghbazar, vanished following the construction of Sonargaon Road.
A study by the River and Delta Research Centre found that widespread land grabbing, waste dumping and sedimentation have gradually reduced both the size and capacity of the city’s canals.
Household garbage, plastic waste, construction debris and industrial effluents now routinely flow into canals, turning many of them into polluted drainage channels.
Wetlands far below recommended level
Urban planners warn that the loss of canals is closely linked to the disappearance of wetlands across the capital.
Experts say a healthy city should have at least 15% of its total area covered by wetlands or water bodies. Dhaka’s Flood Action Plan also recommended that 12% of the capital remain wetlands.
However, illegal land filling and development have reduced the proportion to below 5%, according to planners.
A study by the Bangladesh Institute of Planners found that 3,483 acres of wetlands and low-lying areas in and around Dhaka have been filled over the past nine years, often in violation of planning regulations.
Sinking city needs political will
The disappearance of canals has contributed to chronic waterlogging in many parts of Dhaka, even after light to moderate rainfall.
Areas frequently affected include Mirpur, Dhanmondi, Mohammadpur, Rampura, Badda, Gulshan, Banani, Uttara, Jatrabari, Motijheel and the DND (Dhaka-Narayanganj-Demra) area.
Urban planners say Dhaka’s drainage system historically relied on a network of canals that flowed toward surrounding rivers through three main basins—western Dhaka, eastern Dhaka and the DND basin.
Encroachment and infrastructure development have blocked many of these channels.
Experts say restoring the canals will require more than dredging or occasional eviction drives.
Urban planning expert Adil Muhammad Khan, executive director of the Institute for Planning and Development (IPD), said recovering Dhaka’s canals will require strong political commitment and firm legal action against encroachers.
“If legal measures are taken against those who grabbed canals, it would send a strong message. In many cases, the encroachers have links with ruling political groups of different administrations,” he told Dhaka Tribune.
He added that restoring canals in rural areas alone would not solve the problem if urban waterways continue to disappear.
“Canal excavation must include cities, not just rural areas. You cannot excavate canals in villages while ignoring those in cities. Without restoring urban canals, the effort will not succeed,” he said.
Adil Muhammad Khan also stressed the need to categorise canals and prepare a comprehensive restoration plan, identifying which waterways can realistically be recovered.
He suggested that individuals and institutions responsible for illegal encroachment should face economic penalties.
“A white paper should identify who was responsible when these canals were occupied—whether local administrators, officials from planning authorities or law enforcement agencies. Accountability is essential if we want to protect the remaining waterways,” he said.
He also noted that in some cases even government institutions and law enforcement agencies have occupied water bodies, and these must also be brought under recovery initiatives.
