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Published : 13 Jun 2026, 11:29 AM
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has inaugurated the re-excavation of Patali Canal in Cox's Bazar, the same waterway his father dug with his own hands nearly five decades ago.
On Saturday at 10:50am, he arrived at PM Khali Union under Sadar Upazila and, braving heavy rain, picked up a spade to formally launch the work, mirroring the moment late president Ziaur Rahman did the same in November 1979.
The prime minister stepped off his flight in pouring rain before travelling by road to the site, where over a thousand villagers had gathered along the canal bank since morning, waiting to catch a glimpse of him.
After inaugurating the work, he took to a makeshift stage beside the canal to wave to the crowd.
Several ministers accompanied him, including Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, who is also the MP for Cox's Bazar-1; Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee; State Minister Farhad Hossain Azad; Civil Aviation and Tourism State Minister Rashiduzzaman Millat; Local Government Minister Mir Shahe Alam; Chattogram Hill Tracts and Land State Minister Mir Md Helal Uddin; and Jute and Textile State Minister Shariful Alam.
Cox's Bazar-3 MP Lutfur Rahman Kajol and Chattogram-10 MP Sayeed Al Noman were also present.
MP Kajol said the canal carries historical significance, noting that its original development had drawn international attention, with visits from the then World Bank president Robert McNamara, Nepal’s King Birendra Shah Dev, Bhutan’s King Jigme Singye Wangchuck and the then Sri Lankan prime minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike.
The canal had at the time brought around 12,000 hectares of uncultivated land under farming, sparking what Kajol described as an unprecedented green revolution in the rural economy.
It fell into disuse after five to six years due to neglect, silting up over time, with parts falling under illegal encroachment and leaving local farmers without irrigation water for years, he said.
According to the MP, the 8-km canal is expected to benefit around 40,000 people once re-excavated.
Farmer Jahed Ali said it meant a great deal to see the son of the man who first dug the canal return to restore it.
Once the work is done, he said, farmers would no longer have to worry about irrigation water for their crops.
