Parliament passes Bangladesh Haor, Wetland Conservation Bill

The Jatiya Sangsad on Tuesday passed the Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Conservation Bill, 2026, regarded as a landmark piece of legislation aimed at the protection, conservation, and sustainable development of the country’s unique haor ecosystems and wetlands.

Water Resources Minister Md. Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee placed the bill in the House which was later passed by voice vote with Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad, Bir Bikram, in the chair.

It seeks to fulfil the state’s constitutional obligation under Article 18 Ka to protect biodiversity and natural resources for present and future citizens, while also complying with a High Court directive issued in 2020.

Under the proposed law, the existing department of Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Development will be formally regularized as a permanent body under the Ministry of Water Resources.

Headed by a Director General appointed by the government, the department will be headquartered in Dhaka with the authority to open regional offices in haor-areas.

The proposed Act imposes strict bans on activities that threaten the delicate balance of wetlands.

Prohibited actions include illegal encroachment, unauthorized filling or excavation of haors and kanda (elevated lands), and the construction of any infrastructure that hinders the natural flow of water.

It also bans activities leading to the contamination of water, soil, and the environment.

Furthermore, the extraction of sand, stones, or minerals without prior approval is prohibited, as is the hunting of migratory birds, destruction of swamp forests, and the use of banned nets or electric shocks for fishing.

To curb unplanned urbanization and infrastructure, the bill mandates that any government, private, or autonomous body must seek a formal opinion from the department before initiating development projects within haor or wetland boundaries.

The department will assess whether such projects damage the environment or biodiversity, obstruct natural water flow, adversely affect local livelihoods, or damage existing disaster management infrastructure.

However, the bill provides an exemption for the repair and maintenance of existing flood control embankments.

The government now holds the authority to issue Protection Orders for any wetland where biodiversity or specific species are under threat due to human intervention.

Furthermore, as per the bill, the government can declare specific haors as protected areas, setting clear boundaries and restrictions on human activity to ensure ecosystem recovery.

The law introduces stringent legal consequences for violations. The department’s director general has the power to determine the financial value of ecological damage caused by individuals or institutions and direct them to pay compensation or take corrective measures.

Failure to comply can lead to criminal prosecution. Offenses under this Act may be tried via mobile courts under the Mobile Court Act, 2009.

The bill also allows for a maximum penalty of two years of imprisonment or a fine of Taka two lakh, or both, for specific offenses defined under future rules.

In the objective of the bill, the minister said that in order to conserve the biodiversity of the vast haor and wetland areas in the northeastern part of Bangladesh, the ‘Haor Development Board’ was established in 1977 to bring haors under the umbrella of integrated management, infrastructure development, irrigation system, flood control, fisheries development and agricultural expansion.

Later, on July 24, 2016, the department of Bangladesh Haor and Wetland Development was established through a gazette notification by the Ministry of Water Resources.

After the establishment of the department, the inadequacy of the legal framework was felt to prevent uncontrolled development of the haor area, unplanned construction of dams, creation of obstacles in the river channel, uncontrolled use of poisons and pesticides and adverse effects of tourism.

The minister said it was also necessary to enact the law to protect the environment, habitat, biodiversity and ecosystem of haor and wetland areas.