Govt to excavate 20,000 km canals, says info minister

BARISHAL, Feb 22, 2026 (BSS): Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan on Sunday said the government has undertaken a plan to excavate 20,000 kilometres canals across the country.

"The government will excavate 20,000 kilometres of canals nationwide. The formal inauguration of this programme will be held soon. As part of the initiative, canal re-excavation activities have already begun in Barishal," he said while inaugurating the re-excavation of the Kapalatali canal at Kandapasha under Gournadi upazila at around 11:30 am.

The re-excavation programme is being implemented under the Barishal, Bhola, Jhalakathi and Pirojpur District Irrigation Development Project to improve water management and boost agricultural productivity in the region.

Alongside canal restoration, a tree plantation drive has also been launched as part of the government's afforestation efforts, and the activities would be further intensified, the minister said.

Highlighting the government's commitment to ensure democratic governance, Swapan noted, "We will not establish a partisan government or a partisan state, we want to build a government of the people."