Speakers, at a discussion yesterday, urged the government to ratify the UN Convention on the International Trans Boundary Rivers 1997 to move towards international arena to get equitable shares of the 54 common rivers which lie between Bangladesh and India.
They also expressed the need for building public opinion among the like-minded people who live in these two countries against the aggressive attitude of India, regarding the equitable sharing of water from the rivers.
“Bangladesh does not have any option other than going to the International court to get proper water shares during lean periods to save its agriculture, environment and ecology as India did not pay any heed to the issue,” said Prof Anu Muhammad, member secretary of the National Committee for protecting oil, gas, minerals, power and ports.
He said this while addressing a discussion titled “The aggressive attitude of India regarding equitable water sharing of 54 common rivers: Bangladesh Perspective,” held at the city’s National Press Club auditorium and organised by the Gano Sanghati Andolon.
Blaming the Joint river commission for not working properly, he said the platform did not bring any fruitful result.
Blaming the Indian government, Prof Tanjim Uddin Khan of the International Relations of Dhaka University said the Indian government made an eye-wash drama in 2011 regarding the Treaty for water sharing of the Teesta River.
Indian central government has the right to make any bilateral treaty with any country, he said, adding that it seems that the West Bengal government does not want that the Teesta treaty should be signed.
Prof Anu Muhamamad said India created several dams and barrages upstream, resulting in a reduced amount of siltation in the Bay of Bengal.
In the case of the Teesta River, the Indian government has set-up at least four dams upstream to divert the water flow and use the water for its own irrigation without having any concern for how this might harm the agriculture and ecology of the northern part of Bangladesh.
As an example, he cited that around 2.5 billion tonnes of silt had deposited in the Bay in 1971 whereas it came down to only 1.2 billion tonnes in 1991 because of the reduction in water flow in the common rivers.
“If the situation continues, most of the rivers of the country will lose its navigability,” he added.
Prof Nasima Akhter Hossain of Jahangirnagar University, Jonayed Saki, coordinator of Gano Sanghati Andolon and Bangladesh Communist Party General Secretary Khalequzzman spoke on the occasion, among others.
