Finance Minister Amir Khusru Mahmud Chowdhury has said the government will construct and repair embankments alongside building flood walls as part of a strengthened flood control and integrated water resource management plan.
Presenting the national budget for FY2026–27 in parliament on Thursday, the finance minister said comprehensive water resource management remains a top government priority, with a strong focus on flood protection, irrigation expansion, river erosion control and drainage improvement.
Under the plan, 309 kilometres of embankments will be constructed, reconstructed and repaired in the next fiscal year, alongside the construction of flood walls across vulnerable areas of the country. A total of Tk 10,533 crore has been allocated for the Ministry of Water Resources in the proposed budget.
The finance minister also proposed a record Tk 9.38 trillion national budget for FY2026–27, one of the largest in the country’s history.
Amir Khusru Mahmud Chowdhury said that integrated and comprehensive water resource management is one of the government’s key priorities. He added that the government has undertaken a range of initiatives covering irrigation, flood management, river erosion prevention, land reclamation, waterlogging reduction, drainage system improvement and salinity control.
He said the government is implementing a large-scale canal excavation and re-excavation programme across the country to reduce waterlogging, expand irrigation facilities and maintain ecological balance. Under this initiative, a 20,000-kilometre programme for the excavation and re-excavation of rivers, canals and water bodies will be carried out over the next five years, of which 6,598 kilometres of canal works are already underway.
The finance minister added that in the 2026–27 fiscal year, the government will construct, reconstruct and repair 309 kilometres of embankments, along with the construction of flood walls. A target has also been set to improve river navigability and remove silt and submerged shoals across 484 kilometres of waterways.
He further said that under the river restoration programme, the government plans to reclaim and revitalise at least one river or waterbody in each administrative division by removing illegal encroachments and restoring natural flow. Rivers including the Dhaleshwari, Louhajang, Alikuri, Magra, Salta, Sutiang, Bankkhali and Barnai are being brought under restoration efforts to ensure uninterrupted water flow.
He also said that integrated development initiatives are being implemented for the haor and beel regions, along with measures to reduce salinity intrusion in coastal areas.
The finance minister noted that the National Economic Council Executive Committee (ECNEC) has approved the “Padma Barrage Project.” The project aims to bring long-term improvements to agriculture, environment and water resource management in the southwestern region and will be implemented over the next seven years.
He said the project is expected to directly benefit around 37 percent of the country’s population, covering 120 upazilas across 19 districts in four divisions.
