India must be pro-active to resolve the water-sharing problem

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India has been withdrawing/withholding/diverting water from most rivers that connect us and them, not least the Teesta. In the summer they let in water and flood the region and in winter the river shrinks and the place resembles a desert. And of course the Indians misrepresent the truth with whatever takes their fancy. They say, each year about twenty thousand people lose their everything and become destitute. About fifty thousand known species of fish have disappeared ever since the Indians started their mischief. In the past thirty-nine years, this action by India has wrought destruction of over one lakh crore takas! The 125 kilometre-long river has a total catchments area of 1,719 square kilometre in Bangladesh.
The Indians over the years have done everything to deny Bangladesh its rightful share of water from the Teesta on every ridiculous ground they can find. And yet they tell everyone unabashedly that they are our best friends and we Bangladeshis better understand it. We are yet to see Indian pro-active move to resolve the matter. Here reassurances that the Indians will treat us in favourable light (from now on) in the future will serve no useful purpose.

Shafiqul Islam
Rangpur