Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has expressed a firm commitment to implementing the Teesta Barrage Master Plan "at any cost" on a national priority basis to address water shortages and meet the long-standing demand of the people in the northern region.

Speaking during the general discussion on the proposed FY27 budget in Parliament today (29 June), with Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad in the chair, he outlined long-term reforms and future roadmaps for the country's economy, agriculture, creative economy, education, and energy sectors.

He said the BNP government is treating deep anxieties regarding water and the Teesta River raised by the general public and lawmakers of Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions with utmost seriousness and is determined to find a permanent solution.

Water rights of the north

Declaring that the water rights of the northern region will be guaranteed, Tarique said elected representatives from Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions hold major concerns regarding the Padma and Teesta rivers.

He added that the BNP government has always been an agriculture-friendly administration that prioritises securing citizens' water rights whenever it steers the nation.

The prime minister announced that the government has initiated the construction of the Padma Barrage to retain excess water during the monsoon season, so that farmers can receive an uninterrupted water supply throughout the dry season.

Following this, he declared that the government will implement the Teesta Barrage Master Plan at any cost as a national priority.

To ensure integrated development of agriculture and irrigation, the prime minister stressed the importance of restoring the navigability of rivers and canals.

Citing regional imbalances where certain areas overflow with water during the monsoon but leave farmers without water for nearby lands during the dry season, he mentioned a mega plan to excavate and re-excavate 20,000 kilometres of canals across Bangladesh over the next five years.

He informed the House that under this plan, nearly 900 kilometres of canal excavation have already been successfully completed in the last three months alone.

On fulfilling electoral manifesto promises, the premier stated that during the very first Cabinet meeting in the first week of forming the government, agricultural loans including interest up to Tk10,000 for 13 lakh farmers were completely waived.

Furthermore, the government is working on a special Farmer's Card to provide direct financial assistance, through which Tk2,500 will be transferred directly to farmers every year, he added.

He said the card will provide farmers with 10 additional special benefits, and the government aims to distribute it to approximately 43 lakh farmers during the upcoming 2026-27 fiscal year.

Beyond traditional industries, the prime minister announced plans to mainstream emerging sectors such as film, theatre, music, OTT, digital content, gaming, fashion, and software into the economy as a "creative economy".

"This sector could generate massive domestic employment alongside earning substantial foreign exchange," he noted.

National honorarium structure for athletes

To strengthen the sports arena, he announced the introduction of a first-ever "national honorarium structure" for athletes achieving success at home and abroad.

He said efforts are underway to include sports as an independent subject in the main educational curriculum within the next year, so that the younger generation can choose it as a respectable profession.

He also mentioned plans to launch a new sports version modelled after the historic "Notun Kuri" programme initiated by former president Ziaur Rahman to foster the talents of children and teenagers.

Recalling the legacy of his late father in opening up Bangladesh's labour market to the Middle East and global arenas, Tarique stated that the current administration is coordinating with new countries to dispatch more skilled manpower to the global market.

He informed the parliament that the government is working to launch an Expatriate Card to provide immediate relief from the day-to-day problems faced by expatriates both abroad and upon returning home.

'Spine-chilling' corruption

He heavily criticised the destruction wrought upon the energy and education sectors during the past one and a half decades of fascist rule.

He stated that the previous Awami League government had "engaged in boundless corruption in the energy sector to protect their political power, ignoring domestic exploration to benefit foreign companies", details of which he described as "spine-chilling".

To mitigate the risks of import-dependent energy, the current government is restoring discipline to the sector by expanding domestic gas exploration and renewable energy, he said.

Empathising with the need to rebuild the country's education system, Tarique said educated, skilled, and morally principled individuals are a nation's greatest asset, vowing to erase past destruction and present the youth with a new, self-reliant, and prosperous Bangladesh.