Mirza Abbas Appointed to Lead Nationwide Waterway Restoration Cell
Mirza Abbas Uddin Ahmed, the newly appointed Political Advisor to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, has been named the Chairman of this 8-member powerful committee. The official notification regarding this appointment and the formation of the cell was issued by the Prime Minister’s Office on Monday, February 23, 2026.
The primary mandate of this নবগঠিত (newly formed) cell is to formulate an integrated action plan aimed at restoring the navigability of the nation’s extensive network of waterways. It will serve as a central coordinating body to synchronize ongoing projects across various departments, resolving field-level bottlenecks and ensuring that excavation activities are carried out efficiently. The committee is also tasked with launching promotional campaigns to increase public engagement in preserving local water bodies, a strategy inspired by the canal excavation drives historically led by late President Ziaur Rahman.
The 8-member committee comprises high-ranking administrative and technical officials, including:
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Chairman: Mirza Abbas Uddin Ahmed (Political Advisor to the PM).
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Member Secretary: Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources.
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Members: Secretaries from the Ministries of Land, Agriculture, Local Government, and Disaster Management & Relief.
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Technical Members: Chief Engineer of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) and the Director General of the Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB).
The Ministry of Water Resources will provide all necessary secretarial and logistical support to the cell. According to the gazette, the committee has the authority to co-opt new members as needed and the order came into effect immediately. This initiative aligns with the government's broader "July Mandate" pledge to excavate 20,000 kilometers of canals over the next five years to boost agricultural productivity and strengthen climate resilience across Bangladesh.
