After the devastating flood of 1988, the Honourable Prime Minister of Bangladesh gave high priority to reducing the extent of sufferings and damages caused at the eastern part of the Dhaka city and pledged to implement an integrated project to protect the eastern side of the Dhaka city.

The Dhaka Eastern Study carried out by Halcrow Fox in 1997 was integrated with the provision of flood embankment and drainage interventions along the right bank of the Balu River after the devastating flood of 1998. The project was then, subsequently, entitled as “Dhaka Integrated Flood Control Embankment Cum Eastern Bypass Road Multipurpose Project”. However, implementation of the project has not been carried out.

The recent devastating flood 2004 has again resulted in substantial flood damages and social and environmental impacts in the eastern part of the Dhaka city. The Government has therefore taken steps to progress with the project planning, design and implementation of the Dhaka Eastern Flood protection Embankment and the integrated project.

A Halcrow led team was appointed by the Bangladesh Water Development Board to carry out the review and update the earlier studies for the combined flood protection and drainage in the eastern part of the Dhaka city together with a Bypass and link roads.

The project is within the top priority list of the government Annual Development Programme.