Bangladesh Approves Padma Barrage Project Amid Water Treaty Dispute

The Government of Bangladesh approved the first phase of the Padma Barrage project on May 13, 2026, during a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council chaired by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman. The mega project, estimated at Tk 34,497.25 crore (approximately $2.8 billion), is scheduled for implementation from July 2026 to June 2033. Located at the Oangsha point in Rajbari district, the 2.1-kilometer structure will include 78 spillways and two hydropower plants with a combined capacity of 113 megawatts.

Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee stated the project is a matter of national interest that requires no consultation with India. The barrage aims to store up to 2.9 billion cubic metres of water to mitigate the effects of India's Farakka Barrage, which Bangladesh claims causes dry-season water shortages, salinity intrusion, and ecological damage. The initiative is expected to benefit 70 million people across one-third of the country and irrigate approximately 2.9 million hectares of farmland.

Following the approval, the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) tied future diplomatic relations with India to the renewal of the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, which expires in December 2026. BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir demanded an immediate new agreement based on the needs of the Bangladeshi people, suggesting that future pacts should not have fixed tenures. While the Padma Barrage remains a unilateral national project, Minister Anee confirmed that broader discussions regarding the Ganges are ongoing. India continues to defend the Farakka Barrage as necessary for maintaining the navigability of the Kolkata port.