Prime Minister Khaleda Zia inaugurated the re-excavation of the historic Patli Canal in Cox's Bazar on Saturday (June 13), a project deeply tied to the legacy of her father, the late President Ziaur Rahman. This marks the Prime Minister's first visit to the coastal district in two decades, arriving from Dhaka via a private US-Bangla Airlines flight.
A festive atmosphere gripped the PMkhali area from early morning. Despite the rain, thousands of local citizens and political activists lined the streets from Cox’s Bazar Airport to the Patli Canal, welcoming the Prime Minister with banners, placards, and festoons.
The Patli Canal holds historical significance. In 1977, President Ziaur Rahman launched a nationwide canal excavation program to transform the rural economy and improve agricultural irrigation. He personally visited PMkhali in November 1979 to inaugurate the original digging of this canal.
This local re-excavation is part of a broader government master plan. The Ministry of Water Resources, the Local Government Division, and the Ministry of Agriculture are jointly implementing a massive national initiative to excavate 20,000 kilometers of canals across Bangladesh over the next five years. The first phase aims to complete 1,204 kilometers of canal excavation by June this year.
According to the Ministry of Water Resources, the project goes beyond just digging; strict directives have been issued to protect the environment by reinforcing canal banks, planting trees, and removing illegal encroachments along the waterways.
Following a day of various official engagements, the Prime Minister is scheduled to return to Dhaka on a US-Bangla Airlines flight tonight.
