Bangladesh prime minister Tarique Rahman on Monday inaugurated the nationwide programme to excavate and re-excavate rivers, canals and water bodies aimed at improving irrigation, boosting agricultural production and strengthening water management.

The premier opened the excavation of 53 canals across the country by initiating the excavation of the 12-kilometer Sahapara Canal in the Balrampur area in Kaharole upazila of the district.

He formally launched the initiative by cutting soil with a spade at 12:27 pm. Later, he planted a sapling of a tree on the bank of the Sahapara Canal.

LGRD minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, social welfare minister Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, water resources minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee and disaster management and relief minister Asadul Habib Dulu and state minister for water resources Forhad Hossain Azad were present at the event, among others.

Earlier, the prime minister arrived at Saidpur Airport by air from Dhaka and he later travelled by road to the programme venue on the bank of the Sahapara Canal here.

The BNP-led government has undertaken the programme in line with its election manifesto to excavate and re-excavate about 20,000 kilometres of rivers, canals, water bodies and reservoirs across the country over the next five years.

In the first phase, the initiative has been simultaneously launched in 54 districts across the country.

The prime minister took the programme following the footsteps of his father, late president Ziaur Rahman, who had introduced a nationwide canal excavation initiative during his tenure.