Minister for Water Resources Md. Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee informed the Jatiya Sangsad on Thursday that the proposed Padma Barrage Project is a "life-saving initiative" vital for ensuring water security across the southwest and northwest regions of Bangladesh.

Responding to a starred tabled question from ruling party lawmaker Harun-Or-Rashid, the Minister emphasized that the project is essential for maintaining water availability during the dry season for the vast agricultural lands of the Padma basin.

The Minister highlighted the immense geographical and social scale of the project, noting that the targeted regions cover nearly one-third of Bangladesh's total land area and support a population of approximately 6.5 crore people.

He described the barrage as a critical intervention for river-dependent communities whose livelihoods are increasingly threatened by seasonal water scarcity.

Tracing the history of the initiative, Anee noted that the concept of a barrage on the Padma River is longstanding, with four separate studies conducted between 1960 and 2000.

These efforts were followed by a pre-feasibility study in 2002 and a detailed BDT 45 crore feasibility study launched in 2004. The design was finalized in 2013, and the project has now been included as a priority in the current government’s election manifesto.

The Ministry of Water Resources has already prepared and submitted the Development Project Proposal (DPP) to the Planning Commission.

The project carries an estimated cost of BDT 34,497.25 crore, with a scheduled implementation period spanning from 2026 to June 2033.

The Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to executing this massive infrastructure project to safeguard the nation’s agricultural future and regional ecological balance.