Weak regime can not realise due share of water from India: BNP

GAIBANDHA: Accusing the current government of maintaining a knee-jerk foreign policy, particularly with India, BNP Tuesday said this is not possible for this weak regime to realise Bangladesh’s due share of Teesta water.
“This government has given away India a weapon like transit for bargaining with it to protect the national interests. So, it’s not possible by them either to sign the Teesta water deal or realise the due share of water of the river,” said BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir.
Addressing their sixth and final wayside rally of their first day of a two-day long-march programme in Gaibandha’s Polashbari, the BNP leader also said a pro-people government must be installed through participatory polls under a non-party administration to realise the country’s fair share of water of the Teesta and other common rivers, according to a news agency.
Fakhrul said India has already set up 14 dams at the upper-stream of the Teesta River, significantly decreasing its water flow to Bangladesh. “They (India) are illegally and unilaterally withdrawing the river water depriving us.”
Earlier, the party, led by Fakhrul, launched its long march towards Teesta Barrage from Azampur in the city’s Uttara area in the morning in its bid press India to allow Bangladesh to enjoy the due share of all the common rivers, including Teesta.
Fakhrul said their long-march programme is not against India or Bangladesh government as it is meant for realising the country’s due share of water of the common river, Teesta.
He urged the government to take immediate steps to make India agree to sign a deal on Teesta water sharing, and called upon the country’s people to get united and raise their voice for forcing India to give Bangladesh its due share of Teesta water and sign the deal in this regard.
After the overnight stay in Rangpur, the party will hold a rally in front of Rangpur Public Library in the city at 9am on Wednesday and then restart their long march towards Teesta Barrage in Nilphamari. The long march will end after holding another public rally at Dalia.