Speakers at a roundtable in Dhaka on Saturday called for concerted efforts to unite the people against threats to the country’s physical and environmental security posed by diversion of rivers that have treated and sustained Bangladesh for ages.
This land will not remain the same if the rivers that give it life and its people livelihood are diverted from upstream, they said at the roundtable organised by the Bhashani Anusari Parishad at the National Press Club.Dr. Zafrullah Chowdhury, founder of Gonoshasthya Kendra, was the chief guest at the discussion meeting with Prof. Jasin Uddin Ahmad, president of Bhashani Anusari Parisad and IFC Bangladesh in the chair. The function was also addressed by Mr. Mahmudur Rahman Manna, convener, Nagorik Oikya, Haider Akbar Khan Rono, member CPB presidium, Amanullah Kabir, former editor of Amar Desh, Mostafa Kamal Majumder, editor, GreenWatch Dhaka, economist Dr. Nurul Amin. Dr. SI khan, vice president International Farakka Committee (IFC) Bangladesh made the keyote presentation and Sheikh Rafiqul Islam Babu made the introducotry statement.
Dr. SI khan said that because of the way water of common rivers were being diverted at upstream, time is not far away when Bangladesh would not receive any water of some rivers including the Ganges. He said that the Farakka Barrage was not being repaired to make sure that even seepage water does not flow downstream even though it has not served the declared purpose of its sponsors.
He said like the delimitation of maritime boundary at the instance of a UN court the government of Bangladesh should take up the matter with the UN. An agreement with gurantee clause had become possible only after Bangladesh has raised the matter at the internatinal forum, he said.
Dr. Zafrullah Chowdhury called for protesting the dirversion of rivers that posed threat to Bangladesh’s existence. Diversion and interlinking of rivers are continuing for a long time without Bangladesh even keeping any track. Now the threat has become acute and there is a need to act. Many people ask who will bell the cat.
Chowdhury said that the government would have to make the protest and the people should unitedly compel it to do so. He deplored that the policy of Bangladesh vis as vis neighbour remained one of appeasement to the detriment of it interests. The water issue should be raised the the UN, he said.
Mahmudur Rahman said that in the absence of national unity the policy of Bangladesh in respect of India had become increasingly more and more submissive in the last 44 years. He said that Sheikh Hasina shall die but not get united. The convener of Nagorik oikya convener called for accurately presenting the threats posed to Bangladesh by diversion to the international community.
Haider Akbar Khan Rono said that the threat of Bangladeh’s turning into a desert and destruction of its flora and fauna is no longer mere talk, but real. He said that the citizens of the soil were in a very difficult situation as, he said, the state machinery was lying over confinment of Khaleda Zia while government minsters were playing indecent jokes. CPB will remain with the movement to safeguard Bangladesh’s rivers, he said.
Mostafa Kamal Majumder said that the leader cannot afford to be shy to raise the issue of rivers with the nearest neighbour, India because a deltaic land Bangladesh cannot do without the rivers. River have not only formed this land but also sustain it. Life, livelihood, economy, environment and ecology of Bangladesh are critically depeodent on the rivers. All of us should undderstand this and work to save our rivers, he said.
