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Bangladesh’s Water Resources Minister, Md. Shahiduddin Chowdhury Annie, has informed Parliament that the proposed Teesta Master Plan includes 110 km of riverbank protection, 110 km of river dredging, 224 km of flood-control embankments with roads, construction and rehabilitation of 67 groynes (spurs), and the recovery and development of 170 square kilometres of land.
The minister shared the information on Tuesday (July 7) in response to a written question from MP Md. Raihan Siraji during a parliamentary session chaired by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed Bir Bikram.
He said the Teesta River is vital to the livelihoods of people in northern Bangladesh. However, upstream dams and other constraints reduce water flow during the dry season, affecting irrigation under the Teesta Irrigation Project and agricultural production. During the monsoon, heavy upstream rainfall often triggers sudden floods and river erosion.
The minister added that riverbank protection works covering 42.17 km have already been completed in five Teesta basin districts—Rangpur, Nilphamari, Kurigram, Gaibandha, and Lalmonirhat—at a cost of Tk 222.23 crore during the 2024–25 and 2025–26 fiscal years.
He also said a feasibility study for the integrated and sustainable development of the Teesta River has been completed, while technical and financial evaluations of the proposed project are currently underway.
According to the study, the project would improve dry-season water storage and irrigation, boost agricultural production and crop diversification, enhance infrastructure through the construction of roads, bridges and embankments, create employment opportunities, and help reduce poverty. It is also expected to improve inland water transport, strengthen regional trade, and support the sustainable and integrated development of northern Bangladesh.
