Dhaka – Expariate Bangladeshis at a discussion meeting in New York on 16 May underscored the need for increasing mass awareness about problem of river water the people of Bangladesh are facing and urged the government to take steps in this direction if the problem is not resolved, says a delayed message received in Dhaka.The discussion meeting was organised at Jackson Height by the Moulana Bhashani Foundation marking the historic Farakka Long March Day. They called upon the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to call a world water convention in Bangladesh with a view to increasing awareness about the problem of life and death of the people.
The speakers said, the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was trying to resolve the problem of surface water in line with he efforts made by the government of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
They also said that the government of Ziaur Rahman had made bold efforts towards the resolution of water problems caused by diversion of water of common rivers at upstream, but subsequent governments failed to take urgent initiaives to maintain the tempo. The water problem has thus taken a monstrous shape by now, they said.
Leader of the toiling masses of Bangladesh, Moulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashasi had staged the Farakka Long March in 1976 as the demand of the people of Bangladeesh to ensure just flow of the Ganges after the commissonng of the Farakka Barrage in 1974 went unheeded.
Presided over by Sayed Tipu Sultan, president, Moulana Bhashani Foundation, the discussion meeting on the signficance of Farakka Long March was addrressed by Atiqur Rahman Salu, president, International Farakka Committee (IFC), Dr. Siddiqur Rahman, president US unit of Awami League, acting general secreetary of the unit, Abdus Samad Azad; eminent poet and journalist Dr. Mahbub Hassan, former Principal of Sanos Moulana Bhashani College, Afsar Uddin Pallab, vice chairman of IFC, Azharul Huq Milon, Advocate Monir Hossain, communiy activists, Q Zaman and Abdur Razzak, human rights worker Kazi Fauzia and Rhymer Shah Alam Dulal. Senior vice president of Bhashani Foundation and eminent journalist Moinuddin Naser moderated the programme.
The speakers said the first agreement on Farakka was signed between the governments of India and Pskistan in the year 1970. Subsequently an accord was reached with the governmen of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The government of Ziaur Rahjman signed the 1977 substantive treaty with the government of India, but its continuity was not maintained by subsequent governments, they said.
IFC chairman Aiqur Rahman Salu said Moulana Bhashani had foreseen the problem the people of Bangladesh were going to face because of diversion of lean season flow of the Ganges and organised the Farakka Long March to unite the people by raising their awareness of the issue.
He lauded the efforts made by the government of Sheikh Hasina and said the role of former minister for water resources Abdur Razzak deserved to be praised. As member of the high level UN committee on water PM Sheikh Hasina can play a significant role to ensure the resolution of water problems the people are facing, he said urging Sheikh Hasina to call a world convention on water in Dhaka.
Sayed Tipu Sultan who is also the secretary general of IFC paid rich tributes to Moulana Bhahani who was the life-blood of the language movement, dreamt of Independent Bangladesh and organised the historic Farakka Long March to secure the right of the people on water of common rivers. Moulana Bhashani fought for the people and embraced imprisonment to secure their righs. Strong initiatives based on the ideals left by him are needed to improve the quality of life of the people, he said. Diploring the absence of national unity in Bangladesh Sayed Tipu Sultan said unity was a must also secure the people’s right to water on common rivers. – GW News Desk
