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After decades of encroachment, garbage and foul smell, the CMP Canal of Dholaikhal in Old Dhaka has returned in a new avatar.
Once the heart of the Mughal capital, Dholaikhal was excavated in the early 17th century by Islam Khan to protect Dhaka and connect the Buriganga and Balu rivers. Large cargo boats sailed here, and boat races were held every year. Over time, only 5 per cent of the canal remained — the rest was filled with shops for machine parts, auto workshops and multi-storey buildings.
Now, after a massive eviction and de-pollution drive by Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC), the picture has changed.
Under the project titled *”Greening of Dholaikhal Reservoir and Development of Aesthetic Environment”* costing Tk 19.88 crore, the canal bed was re-excavated, waste cleared, and banks developed. The work, which started in 2021 and was completed on May 31, 2026, has created walkways on both sides, viewing decks, an amphitheatre, ghats, public toilets and extensive green plantation.
The clean water, landscaped banks and evening lights have made it look like Hatirjheel. So locals are now fondly calling it *’Hatirjheel-2’* or ‘Chhoto Hatirjheel’ — the mini Hatirjheel of Old Dhaka.
Not just one canal — Dhaka’s fight to get its lifelines back:
Dhaka once had 65 canals, now only 38 exist on paper. For years, drainage was managed by Dhaka WASA, but since 2020 it was handed over to the two city corporations.
DSCC says this is just the beginning. The government has approved a larger plan worth about $345 million to restore 29 km of canals in Dhaka South. Other major canals under recovery are:
Begunbari-Hatirjheel Canal: The original 311-acre retention basin that inspired the first Hatirjheel. Still facing pollution from untreated sewage.
-Kalunagar, Jirani, Manda and Shyampur Canals: A Tk 899 crore restoration project approved in June 2025, being implemented by Bangladesh Navy’s Dockyard and Engineering Works Ltd.
-Segunbagicha, Panthapath, and Rayerbazar Canals: Currently being mapped and demarcated.
Urban planners warn that without canals, Dhaka cannot survive. They act as natural drainage and hold rainwater. Dhaka South now drains water mainly through outlets at Kamalapur-TT Para, Dholaikhal and Hatirjheel, but their capacity is still low. Experts say vertical protection walls, not sloped embankments, will increase water-holding capacity and prevent future encroachment.
For residents of Old Dhaka who grew up with the stench of Dholaikhal, the new CMP Canal is more than beautification — it is proof that Dhaka’s dead canals can be reborn if encroachment and pollution are stopped.