The sudden spike in the water levels of the Teesta river has sent the two major political parties of Bangladesh – the Awami League and its fierce rival the BNP – jostling for credit.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Water Resources has claimed it is not for any movement of a political party, but the government’s successful diplomatic efforts that led to the increase in the water flow.
Chairman of the parliamentary watchdog Ramesh Chandra Sen made the contention speaking to reporters after a meeting of the committee on Wednesday.Water resources minister of the immediate past Awami League government, Sen said the panel suggested the government be more alert to maintain the water flow.
It also urged the government to make necessary arrangements for signing an agreement with India to ensure equitable share of waters of the trans-border river.
Amid the BNP’s two-day-long road march towards the Teesta Barrage, the water flow marked sudden rise by several times exceeding 3,000 cusec at the Teesta Barrage Project (TBP) point at Dalia in Nilphamari from Tuesday noon.
But it again declined by a half on Wednesday. The BNP on Wednesday termed it a primary success of their programme.
Reacting to the BNP’s claim, Sen said, “The rise in Teesta’s water flow isn’t a result of anyone’s movement. It won’t be right if you think that India released waters in the face of political pressure due to the BNP’s long march.”
“The water flow in the Teesta River has started increasing as a result of Bangladesh’s succes
