The Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) plans to reclaim 1600 square kilometres of land predominantly by narrowing down the width of Jamuna and Padma rivers in 25 years.
The BWDB has prepared a mega project titled 'Comprehensive Plan for Stabilisation of the Jamuna-Padma River and Pilot Intervention for Land Reclamation' in this regard.
An official familiar with the project said on Thursday that the project is outlined to reduce the width of the Jamuna and the Padma to 7 kilometres on an average which is now 16, eventually to reclaim 1600 square kilometres land.
The proposed plan will be implemented in 25 years at a cost of Tk 400.00 billion in phases.
The board also presented a brief to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on the project at the PMO on Thursday.
During the briefing, the Prime Minister said protection of rivers being "Bangladesh's lifeline" was a must for "saving and developing" the country.
Sheikh Hasina said the land reclamation would help increase investment and agriculture land and remove poverty.
"We have to give attention on how we can get maximum benefits from the rivers . . . we have to also focus on how we can utilise the silt and reclaim more lands from rivers," she said.
Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, Water Resources Minister Anwar Hossain Manju and state minister Nazrul Islam were present along with concerned experts and officials during presentation.
The outline was prepared with the partnership of the Centre for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS).
BWDB officials said the proposed project intended to be the extension of their ongoing Flood and Riverbank Erosion Risk Mitigation Investment Programme (FRERMIP) project.
The FRERMIP by now reclaimed 16 square kilometre lands from the Jamuna in Sirajganj. Another such reclamation process was underway at Harirampur area of Manikganj.
Officials said the project was outlined keeping in mind particularly the necessity of huge size of investment-friendly land to materialise the government's Vision 2021 and 2041.
Officials of CEGIS said the project proposed to protect the 220-kilometre banks at different places of the Padma and Jamuna alongside reclaiming lands, develop flood control mechanisms and protect river routes through capital dredging, according to BSS.
They said the project eyed to reclaim 55 square kilometres land in Belkuchi of Sirajganj, one of the worst victims of river erosion, and another 47 square kilometres in Matharganj of Jamalpur alone.
