The Bangladeshi State Minister for Shipping, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, inaugurated the 155-km-long Bhogai-Kangsha river route dredging works in Netrokona yesterday, local media reports.
“The government has decided to restore the country’s river routes through dredging works. We have a mega-plan to restore 10,000 km waterways in the country,” Minister Chowdhury said at the event.
Five companies, including Bashundhara Infrastructure Development Ltd, will conduct the dredging work. The dredging operations are scheduled to be completed by June 2021.
Lawmakers Waresat Hossain Belal and Manu Majumder, together with Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) Chairman, Commodore Mahbub Ul Islam, were present during the inaugural ceremony.
The Government of Bangladesh has introduced a plan to restore 10,000 km of waterways across the country under capital dredging projects – a priority program of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
BIWTA is now implementing the first phase of this capital project, including restoration of 24 river routes through dredging.