Dhaka, April 27 -- The residents of Ulshi village, a remote settlement in Jashore's Sharsha Upazila, are in a state of breathless anticipation as they wait for a visit from Prime Minister Tarique Rahman since Monday morning.

Many people, young and old, have gathered on both banks of the Ulshi canal, with hammers and spades in hand. They queue on both sides of the road to see the premier.

The first programme on the Tarique's agenda in Jashore is the inauguration of the re-excavation of the Ulshi canal. About 4km long, the canal connects Ulshi-Jadunathpur with the Betna River in the Upazila.

Former president Ziaur Rahman inaugurated the canal's excavation in 1976.

Shahadat Hossain, a 90-year-old resident of Ulshi village, was there for ...