Padma Barrage could add up to 1% to Bangladesh economy, adviser says

Bangladesh’s proposed Padma Barrage could increase the country’s gross domestic product by 0.5% to 1%, prime minister’s adviser Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir said at a roundtable in Dhaka.

Titumir said the project could store 2.9 billion cubic meters of water, generate about 113 megawatts of hydropower and expand irrigation. It is also intended to revive the Gorai and Mathabhanga rivers, reduce salinity in southwestern districts and supply freshwater to the Sundarbans.

“Bangladesh alternates between excess water and scarcity, so conservation is essential,” Titumir said.

Experts urged the government to clarify water-sharing arrangements with India and secure upstream flows before proceeding.

“The barrage will retain water, not create it,” doctoral fellow Asif Bin Ali said.

Retired Maj. Gen. Fazle Elahi Akbar called for strict cost controls on the Tk 34,497 crore project, approximately $2.79 billion.