The interim government has initiated the restoration of six canals under Dhaka North and South City Corporations, with three advisors inaugurating the dredging operations at Mirpur-13 on Sunday (2 February).
Marking the commencement of the project, the advisors stepped onto a floating excavator adorned with a red carpet, a symbolic yet contentious gesture that drew media scrutiny.
Present at the event were Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser for Environment, Forest, Climate Change, and Water Resources; Adilur Rahman Khan, adviser for Housing, Public Works, and Industry; and Asif Mahmud Sajib Bhuiyan, adviser for Local Government, Rural Development, Cooperatives, Youth, and Sports.
When questioned by a journalist about whether this initiative would succeed where previous administrations had failed—despite similar grand inaugurations—Syeda Rizwana Hasan responded, “I did not notice the red carpet; perhaps you did.”
Addressing doubts over the effectiveness of yet another canal recovery effort, she added, “Yes, past attempts have not yielded results, but if we question the merit of trying again, what alternative do we have? We may not achieve complete success in eight or fourteen months, but at least we can initiate the process.”