Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) will stage a two-day long march towards the Teesta Barrage in Nilphamari on April 22-23 demanding due share of the river water from India and protesting the government’s failure.
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Wednesday announced the programme at a press briefing following a joint meeting of the party at Naya Paltan.
Meanwhile, the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) will jointly launch a three-day road march towards Teesta Barrage today. The road march will start on Thursday through holding a rally in front of the Jatiya Press Club around 3:30pm.The BNP’s march will start from in front of party headquarters at Naya Paltan in the city on April 22. A rally will be held in Rangpur when their caravan will reach there later in the day.
After overnight stay in Rangpur, the long march will restart towards the barrage the following morning.
According to programme, a protest rally will be held at Dalia point of Teesta Barrage at 11:00am on April 23.
Replying to a question, the BNP leader said three crore people of Bangladesh cannot suffer in the name of good relationship with India.
“This is our national problem. That’s why are going for the long march,” he added.
Fakhrul mentioned that a deal was supposed to be signed during Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his tour to Bangladesh in 2011 but the government had failed to ink it.
He hoped that the government would assist them to carry out the programme and not to create any barrier to the long march as it did earlier.
As per the decision of the meeting, the BNP would hold a protest rally at Institute of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh on Thursday demanding whereabouts of Ilias Ali, who was abducted three years ago.
The BNP leader alleged that 22 leaders of city BNP had remained missing so far.
Ilias, a former BNP MP from Biswanath of Sylhet, went missing in the city on April 17 in 2012 along with his car driver Ansar Ali.
Meanwhile, briefing reporters at CPB’s Paltan central office CPB’s secretary general Syed Abu Zafar Ahmed said they will march towards Gazipur where a mass rally would be held at Gazipur crossing around 5:30 pm and stay overnight in Sirajganj.
He said another rally would be held in Sirajganj on the second day around 10:00 am on Friday and later they would march towards Bogra where another rally would be held at about 4:00pm and stay overnight in Rangpur.
The marchers will hold another rally at Rangpur Public Library field at about 10:00 am on Saturday and then they will start for Teesta Barrage in the morning and then hold the concluding rally at Sadhur Bazar adjacent to Daliya Teesta Barrage.
The CPB leader said the next programmes would be announced from the concluding rally at Sadhur Bazar.
BSD general secretary Khalequzzaman said the Indian government has unilaterally been controlling the Teesta water through the Teesta Barrage.
“The issue will be raised at the international forum, if necessary,” he added.
CPB presidium member Ahsan Habib Lablu, central leader Ruhin Hossain Prince, BSD central leaders Bazlur Rashid Firoz and Razequzzaman Ratan, among others, were also present at the press conference.
CPB-BSD Left Alliance announced the programme on April 4 demanding equitable share of waters of 54 common rivers, including the Teesta, flowing down from India. – Staff Reporter
