Politicians, academics, experts on water and environment urged all to get launch a united movement to compel the Indian government to give justified share of water of 53 common rivers including Teesta between at a consultation meeting in the capital.
The successive Indian governments have been depriving Bangladesh unilaterally by controlling the flow of water of most of the common rivers and the ruling governments of Bangladesh had so far failed to negotiate the issue with their counterparts, they said.
Communist Party of Bangladesh and Socialist Party of Bangladesh jointly organised the consultation meeting at the conference room of Engineers Institute Bangladesh, where the CPB president Mujahidul Islam Selim said without strong and united movements it would not be possible to resolve the issue.
He called on the Awami League led government to publish a white paper on the water issue and sign the United Nations convention on rivers 1997.
Water expert SI Khan proposed for the formation of a joint river commission comprising of China, India, Nepal and Bangladesh in supervision of the UN.
He also called upon the political parties to wage united movements to mount pressure on the Indian government and include the water issue in their respective election manifestos.
Anu Muhammad, an economist and professor of Jahangirnagar University, recommended for organising strong movements on this issue and spread it in the neighbouring countries.
He also urged the left political parties to work for garnering international community’s support on the issue.
Another water expert Mohammad Enamul Haque echoed the recommendations made by Professor Anu Mohammad.
Firoz Ahmed, a university teacher, said the agriculture of some northern districts of the country is severely hampered due to unilateral withdrawal of Teesta river water by the Indian government.
The SPB General Secretary Khalequzzaman said the CPB and SPB would take a joint initiative to publish a white paper on water issue separately with other left political parties.
The program was chaired by Mujahidul Islam Selim while Columnist Abu Syeed Khan, Abdul Matin, Saiful Huq, Zonayed Saki, Mosharraf Hossain Nannu took part at the discussion among others.