Signing a strategic agreement, the Dutch government representatives Sunday suggested Bangladesh to build cross dams and dikes at specific areas to fetch part of huge sediments flowing into the bay for reclaiming new lands along coastal areas, reports BSS.

"Like the Netherlands, Bangladesh can also catch parts of its 2 billion metric tonnes of sediments coming from the upstream for reclaiming new lands to face future challenges," director general for Public Works and Water Management of the Netherlands Bert Keijts told journalists in the city.

The huge sediments, he said, should be turned into resources instead of considering those as wastes. He also suggested for building short but strong dikes at specific places at low costs to manage rivers and sediments.

Bert, who is now leading a Rijkswaterstraat delegation to Bangladesh, signed an agreement with Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) to continue Dutch supports for two more years under a Twinning Arrangement signed originally for eight years in 2000.

The agreement is focused on sharing knowledge for the mutual benefit of Bangladesh and the Netherlands, two deltas of Asia and Europe. The delegation will also visit morbid Gorai river and the 4.75 km long Jamuna bridge, the longest infrastructure in the country.

The twining arrangement that extends an ongoing cooperation scheme between the two sides would arrange 250,000 Euro annually for transfer of know-how and for joint research in both countries until 2009, a claim immediately turned down by a BWDB official. The arrangement would have no financial involvement, he said.

The first two phases of the arrangement from 2000-'07 resulted in positive contributions to the reform process of important water sector including BWDB and the Water Resources Planning Organisation (WARPO).