Bangladesh Clears Mega Padma Barrage Project Ahead of Ganges Treaty Expiry

Bangladesh has approved a massive river infrastructure project on the Padma River aimed at countering the downstream impact of India’s Farakka Barrage , months before the Indo-Bangladesh Ganges Water Sharing Treaty expires in December 2026.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) , chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman , approved the first phase of the Padma Barrage project at an estimated cost of Tk 34,497 crore , while the overall project value is expected to reach nearly Tk 50,443 crore . The project will be implemented between July 2026 and June 2033 entirely through domestic funding.

The proposed 2.1-km barrage will be built near Pangsha in Rajbari district and is designed to store around 2,900 million cubic metres of water during the monsoon for use in the dry season. Bangladesh’s Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee said the project would help “negate the negative impact” of India’s Farakka Barrage by improving water retention, irrigation and river flow management inside Bangladesh.

Officials said the project aims to revive major river systems including the Gorai-Madhumati, Baral and Ichamati rivers , reduce salinity intrusion in the southwest and improve freshwater flow to the Sundarbans . Authorities estimate nearly 70 million people across 19 districts could benefit through better irrigation, fisheries, biodiversity protection and water supply. The plan also includes two hydropower units with a combined capacity of about 113 MW .

India commissioned the 2,240-metre-long Farakka Barrage in West Bengal in 1975 to divert Ganges water into the Hooghly River to maintain navigability at Kolkata port. While Bangladesh has long argued that reduced dry-season flow caused ecological and agricultural damage downstream, India maintains that water-sharing concerns have been addressed through bilateral agreements, including the 1996 treaty.