[🇧🇩] India's Water Terrorism Against Bangladesh

[Bilal9]

If militarily we were not as weak as we are, we would have declared a war against India for their water terrorism against us. We should seriously think about acquiring Nuke from China to stop India from conducting water terrorism against Bangladesh.

Well in the present situation (interim govt.) such a move is unlikely. A lot of folks in the Armed forces during Hasina's time have been politically brainwashed to be heavily supportive of Indian whims and influence in Bangladesh. She appointed a lot of Awami people into the army. That will take time to correct/normalize but it will happen.

Meanwhile we can still do a total trade boycott of Modi's exports, especially ban any Adani or Ambani related exports to Bangladesh (Adani's Rupchanda brand cooking oil is one such product, there are scores of other products Like Emami and Parachute which alone do hundreds of million in business in Bangladesh). That is more likely and will happen much sooner.

An effective trade boycott for Indian exports to the tune of about $45 Billion annually is perfectly legal and there is nothing that Modi and Company can do about it. Avoid Kolkata for medical treatments altogether - these are a bunch of hyper nationalist Modi supporters. Popularize medical treatment in Malaysia and Thailand.

 

[Saif]

We must reduce our vulnerability to flood

Signs of resilience as severe flooding tests the nation

www.thedailystar.net

We must reduce our vulnerability to flood
Signs of resilience as severe flooding tests the nation

VISUAL: STAR

The ongoing flood has once again highlighted the need for taking decisive actions to reduce our vulnerability to seasonal disasters. With climate change, our internal river management problems, and unresolved external issues with India exposing the fault lines for a country otherwise known for its disaster preparedness, the time has come for Bangladesh to approach this issue with the urgency that it deserves, especially considering the huge human and economic tolls. Reports coming from the ground are quite alarming: at least 15 lives lost and 48 lakh people affected in 11 districts as of Friday afternoon. Earlier, it was reported that over 887,000 families were marooned, with about 77 upazilas under water.

The Feni and Cumilla situations remain as dire as before. In Cumilla, the collapse of an embankment on the Gumti River has left about 500,000 people stranded. People in other districts including Khagrachhari, Noakhali, Chattogram, Moulvibazar, Habiganj, Brahmanbaria, Sylhet, Lakshmipur and Cox's Bazar are also facing severe challenges. Despite all that, one reason to be hopeful about the direction in which Bangladesh is going at present is the spontaneous response of people to help with the aid and rescue efforts. Besides government initiatives in collaboration with the military, coast guard, and emergency services, private platforms and student volunteers have turned up in large numbers, reflecting the nation's solidarity at this moment of crisis. They are working despite considerable hurdles, including lack of electricity and mobile network and impassable roads, with a large number of people in flood-hit districts still disconnected.

That said, we must turn our focus to what's causing the severe flooding and how to reduce our vulnerabilities. Since August 19, the country's eastern region has experienced extremely heavy rainfall for three consecutive days, the highest in 53 years. This, combined with upstream flooding and the narrowing of water drainage paths in Bangladesh, has rapidly deteriorated the situation. This was compounded by inadequate early warning systems. A critical factor in this is the lack of warning about upstream water flows from the Indian authorities, which experts say has exacerbated the situation. Effective cross-border water management and better coordination with India are essential to improve our response. The Joint River Commission and the National River Conservation Commission (NRCC) have a huge role to play in this regard, which they must do.

In addition to cross-border river issues, encroachments and blockages in Bangladesh's river systems are another major concern. The estimates given by the NRCC about river encroachers show how the latter have encroached river land across the country, exacerbating the impact of flooding. Going forward, we must bring these encroachers to book and improve water flow in our rivers. A comprehensive approach to flood management is necessary. This includes restoring natural river channels, addressing encroachments, and strengthening regional cooperation and the effectiveness of relevant institutions to prevent future disasters. Given the repetitive nature of flash floods caused by upstream flows, experts have also said it is time the government approached floods not just from the perspective of river management but also that of security.​

 

[Saif]

Protesters in Bangladesh demand fair share of water from common rivers with India

Students and different organisations in Dhaka held demonstrations on Friday demanding fair share of water of the common rivers with India.

www.newagebd.net

Protesters in Bangladesh demand fair share of water from common rivers with India
Staff Correspondent 24 August, 2024, 01:26

The Save the River Movement forms a human chain, protesting at India’s aggressive water diplomacy, in front of the National Press Club in the capital on Friday. | New Age photo

Students and different organisations in Dhaka held demonstrations on Friday demanding fair share of water of the common rivers with India.

The demonstrations were held amid the deterioration of flood situation in the north-eastern districts due to onrush of water from India, the protesters alleged.

On the Dhaka University campus, students under the banner of Inqilab Mancha held a procession protesting against India, alleging that because they opened the Dumbur dam in Tripura the flood situation in Bangladesh aggravated, Dhaka University correspondent reported.

Protesters demanded removal of all the ‘illegal’ and unilateral dams by India on international rivers.

Sharif Islam Bin Hadi, the spokesperson of the Inqilab Mancha, said, ‘India released water in the night to kill people of Bangladesh violating diplomatic protocols.’

He announced that they would conduct a long march with ten trucks from Shahbagh towards Cumilla and the Dumbur dam on Tuesday.

Besides, students under the platform of ‘Baishammyabirodhi Sammilita Bishwabiddyalay Theatre Jote’ organised a rally in front of the arts faculty building Kala Bhaban protesting at the alleged opening of the Dumbur dam and India’s water invasion.

Meanwhile, students of Jahangirnagar University staged a demonstration on the campus blaming India for the flash floods in Bangladesh, university correspondent reported.

They brought out a procession from the university’s central Shaheed Minar and held a rally in the Battola area on the campus.

The speakers at the rally sought speedy diplomatic action from Dhaka to ensure that India fully follows the existing water-sharing agreements and also emphasised actions to mitigate the damages suffered by the flood-affected regions.

‘Dhaka should raise its voice against India’s policy of aggression that has thrown millions of people into danger. India is using the water at their reservoirs as a weapon to kill Bangladeshis,’ said Zahir Faisal at the rally.

Water security and climate related platform ‘Save The River Movement’ held a rally in front of the National Press Club, protesting at India’s water invasion of Bangladesh.

The participants of the rally demanded equal distribution of water of all trans-boundary rivers according to the international laws.

Political party Khelafat Majlish and banned extremist outfit Hizb ut-Tahrir also brought out separate processions in Paltan areas after Friday prayers in the afternoon protesting at India’s alleged water invasion.

A greater part of Bangladesh, including Feni, Cumilla, Noakhali and Chattogram, has been inundated due to relentless rainfall and onrush of water from the upstream leading to a rise in the water level of rivers, leaving 15 people dead and over 48 lakh people affected as of Friday evening.​

 

[Saif]

India did not notify in advance before opening sluice gates: Rizwana

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, advisor for the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, criticised India on Friday for failing to notify Bangladesh before opening the gates of the Dumboor Hydroelectric Plant in Tripura. She said that although India is supposed to provide advance notice before rel

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

India did not notify in advance before opening sluice gates: Rizwana
Published :
Aug 23, 2024 21:58
Updated :
Aug 23, 2024 22:33

File photo

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, advisor for the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, criticised India on Friday for failing to notify Bangladesh before opening the gates of the Dumboor Hydroelectric Plant in Tripura.

She said that although India is supposed to provide advance notice before releasing water, this time, the protocol was not followed.

She made this remark while speaking to journalists after visiting flood-affected areas along the Khowai River in Habiganj, UNB reports.

"The government will ensure that Bangladesh, as the downstream country, is notified before India releases water from shared rivers," she said.

She noted that the issue was discussed in a recent meeting between the chief advisor and the Indian high commissioner.

Bangladesh plans to communicate with India through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to prevent future man-made disasters, she added.

When asked whether the government has any plans to address the loss of navigability in international rivers due to a lack of dredging, she explained that Bangladesh's approach, as a downstream country, differs from that of upstream countries. The decision on whether to dredge rivers or manage silt through other methods requires careful consideration, she said.

"We do have plans regarding this, but no emphasis was given to it in the past," she said.

She emphasised the importance of protecting the Khowai River to save Habiganj town, stating that a small-scale project would be initiated to safeguard the river. If additional funds are needed in the future, they will be allocated, she added.

She also stressed the need to free the old Khowai River from encroachment, describing it as "crucial." She announced that the government would launch a continuous, and planned campaign against illegal encroachers along river paths.

"Although the flooding in Feni has started subsiding, the narrowing of the river path due to illegal constructions is obstructing water drainage," she said.

Earlier in the day, she met with district administration officials and the Water Development Board at the Habiganj Circuit House to discuss the flood situation. Local dignitaries and coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement also attended the meeting.​

 

[Saif]

শেখ হাসিনার চক্রান্ত | শেখ হাসিনার ফানি কার্টুন |শেখ হাসিনা বনাম ইবলিশ শয়তান

 

[Saif]

The following video talks about Teesta Mega Project proposed by China. It is my understanding that if Bangladesh gives a go ahead to Chinese proposal, it will bring enormous economic, environmental and strategic benefits to Bangladesh. Hope the Interim Government takes prompt action to award the contract to China.

 

[Saif]

In conversation with Syeda Rizwana Hasan: ‘It’s been most challenging to reach those marooned in Feni’

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the environment ministry, speaks with The Daily Star about the ongoing floods.

www.thedailystar.net

In conversation with Syeda Rizwana Hasan: ‘It’s been most challenging to reach those marooned in Feni’

VISUAL: STAR

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, discusses the severity of the floods, challenges of rescue efforts in Feni and next steps of the interim government in addressing this unexpected national crisis in an interview with Sushmita S Preetha of The Daily Star.

Flooding has taken a dire turn in the country within a very short time. Feni, in particular, has not faced such a critical situation in living memory. What's the latest update from the ground?

We are hearing the same thing on the ground. There has been flooding in Feni before, but never to such an extent. Feni locals are not used to such terrible flash floods, neither are government and non-government authorities. Now we are hearing that water is coming into the city as well, which is a matter of great concern. The most challenging aspect has been reaching remote areas and carrying out rescue operations. On Wednesday night, there was no electricity or mobile network, so the rescue mission became very difficult. We could not restore electricity as there was the risk of electrocution. Most of the rescue operation has to be conducted during the day, so the situation really is severe in those areas.

What immediate measures are the interim government taking to help the affected communities?

There is enough relief to provide immediate support, as per government data. But the real issue, as I said before, is accessing the affected people. One of the demands coming out of the flood-affected areas has been to use helicopters to rescue those who are marooned, but we are not able to do so because the weather is still quite treacherous, so helicopters still cannot reach those areas. There is also a demand that helicopters be used to provide relief; even that is not possible at the moment because 1) there is too much water, and 2) when you drop relief from a helicopter, people rush towards it and there is a risk of loss of life, which we must avoid. Right now, we are taking urgent measures to rescue people; the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) is sending boats, the army is there, a lot of volunteers are working; but then again, they are faced with difficulty in accessing places where people are trapped.

Excessive rain and hillside runoff are causing the flood. But many are also speculating that the situation has worsened because a dam in India's Tripura has been opened. What is your take on this?

This is not a matter of personal opinion. It is a government-to-government matter. There has been a lot of rain, and as a result, some dams have been opened on the Indian side. What we are trying to figure out is whether we were told before the [Tripura] dam was opened. We may not have a treaty on this particular river, but there are international treaties—such as the no-harm principle, principle of cooperation—on how to manage transboundary or shared resources between countries. Our chief adviser is set to speak with the Indian prime minister and raise these concerns.

The other issue is, why do we only have agreements on eight rivers when we share so many rivers with India? The chief adviser will address what happened in this particular instance, but he will also discuss and prioritise how to prevent such things from happening in the future.

The climatic threats should be taken as an opportunity to start dialogue and reach agreement for basin wide river management. The challenges include involving all basin countries within the framework of existing agreements, getting consent of the upper riparian countries that are naturally placed in advantageous position, adhering to the principles, norms and processes prescribed in the 1997 UN Convention as none of the riparian countries is a party to it and of course putting in place an effective dispute resolution mechanism.

How is the shuffling of the local government going to affect disaster and relief management?

A local government is, of course, of tremendous help in such situations. Even though there has been a reshuffling in local government, it is not that it has collapsed. Someone from each of those local government offices has been appointed as the administrator. And during disasters, as you also know, one institution may be tasked with the primary role, but all institutions must come together and give their all. To ensure that all departments and ministries can work effectively and urgently together, the disaster management ministry, along with the ministries of fisheries and livestock, agriculture, health, etc, is taking coordinated efforts at the field level as well as the national level.

The adviser for disaster management and relief, who could not go earlier because of bad weather, went to Feni today. He may not have been able to visit the remote areas, but he will oversee the coordination from a nearby area.

Besides Feni, there are other districts such as Cumilla, Khagrachhari, etc, which have also been affected by the flash floods. What steps are you taking there?

The situation in Feni is particularly bad, so we are giving our utmost attention there. But local government agencies, ministries, and the army have all been instructed to do their due diligence in other affected areas, and they are being deployed in the places where the embankments have not broken yet, and to ensure that they are ready with whatever is necessary to tackle the situation. Every area is getting attention, but we are particularly worried about Feni because the communication system there has broken down completely.

Many have also questioned the government's poor river conservation and management initiatives amid the increasing intensity and frequency of floods in the country.

Today, we discussed in a meeting that in many areas, water is not receding because of the arbitrary way in which embankments, bridges and/or culverts have been constructed. Since this is a flash flood, when the rain lets up, the rainwater is supposed to recede quickly. There may be river erosion at that time. However, when the water recedes, there must be no obstruction. So, the bigger concern as to whether we have done adequate river management keeping in mind how flood-prone we are was discussed, though the immediate focus is now on rescue and rehabilitation. I have long been saying that our rivers are losing navigability. We have to address these wider concerns in the long run.​

 

[Bilal9]

In conversation with Syeda Rizwana Hasan: ‘It’s been most challenging to reach those marooned in Feni’

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the environment ministry, speaks with The Daily Star about the ongoing floods.

www.thedailystar.net

In conversation with Syeda Rizwana Hasan: ‘It’s been most challenging to reach those marooned in Feni’

View attachment 7770
VISUAL: STAR

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, discusses the severity of the floods, challenges of rescue efforts in Feni and next steps of the interim government in addressing this unexpected national crisis in an interview with Sushmita S Preetha of The Daily Star.

Flooding has taken a dire turn in the country within a very short time. Feni, in particular, has not faced such a critical situation in living memory. What's the latest update from the ground?

We are hearing the same thing on the ground. There has been flooding in Feni before, but never to such an extent. Feni locals are not used to such terrible flash floods, neither are government and non-government authorities. Now we are hearing that water is coming into the city as well, which is a matter of great concern. The most challenging aspect has been reaching remote areas and carrying out rescue operations. On Wednesday night, there was no electricity or mobile network, so the rescue mission became very difficult. We could not restore electricity as there was the risk of electrocution. Most of the rescue operation has to be conducted during the day, so the situation really is severe in those areas.

What immediate measures are the interim government taking to help the affected communities?

There is enough relief to provide immediate support, as per government data. But the real issue, as I said before, is accessing the affected people. One of the demands coming out of the flood-affected areas has been to use helicopters to rescue those who are marooned, but we are not able to do so because the weather is still quite treacherous, so helicopters still cannot reach those areas. There is also a demand that helicopters be used to provide relief; even that is not possible at the moment because 1) there is too much water, and 2) when you drop relief from a helicopter, people rush towards it and there is a risk of loss of life, which we must avoid. Right now, we are taking urgent measures to rescue people; the Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) is sending boats, the army is there, a lot of volunteers are working; but then again, they are faced with difficulty in accessing places where people are trapped.

Excessive rain and hillside runoff are causing the flood. But many are also speculating that the situation has worsened because a dam in India's Tripura has been opened. What is your take on this?

This is not a matter of personal opinion. It is a government-to-government matter. There has been a lot of rain, and as a result, some dams have been opened on the Indian side. What we are trying to figure out is whether we were told before the [Tripura] dam was opened. We may not have a treaty on this particular river, but there are international treaties—such as the no-harm principle, principle of cooperation—on how to manage transboundary or shared resources between countries. Our chief adviser is set to speak with the Indian prime minister and raise these concerns.

The other issue is, why do we only have agreements on eight rivers when we share so many rivers with India? The chief adviser will address what happened in this particular instance, but he will also discuss and prioritise how to prevent such things from happening in the future.

The climatic threats should be taken as an opportunity to start dialogue and reach agreement for basin wide river management. The challenges include involving all basin countries within the framework of existing agreements, getting consent of the upper riparian countries that are naturally placed in advantageous position, adhering to the principles, norms and processes prescribed in the 1997 UN Convention as none of the riparian countries is a party to it and of course putting in place an effective dispute resolution mechanism.

How is the shuffling of the local government going to affect disaster and relief management?

A local government is, of course, of tremendous help in such situations. Even though there has been a reshuffling in local government, it is not that it has collapsed. Someone from each of those local government offices has been appointed as the administrator. And during disasters, as you also know, one institution may be tasked with the primary role, but all institutions must come together and give their all. To ensure that all departments and ministries can work effectively and urgently together, the disaster management ministry, along with the ministries of fisheries and livestock, agriculture, health, etc, is taking coordinated efforts at the field level as well as the national level.

The adviser for disaster management and relief, who could not go earlier because of bad weather, went to Feni today. He may not have been able to visit the remote areas, but he will oversee the coordination from a nearby area.

Besides Feni, there are other districts such as Cumilla, Khagrachhari, etc, which have also been affected by the flash floods. What steps are you taking there?

The situation in Feni is particularly bad, so we are giving our utmost attention there. But local government agencies, ministries, and the army have all been instructed to do their due diligence in other affected areas, and they are being deployed in the places where the embankments have not broken yet, and to ensure that they are ready with whatever is necessary to tackle the situation. Every area is getting attention, but we are particularly worried about Feni because the communication system there has broken down completely.

Many have also questioned the government's poor river conservation and management initiatives amid the increasing intensity and frequency of floods in the country.

Today, we discussed in a meeting that in many areas, water is not receding because of the arbitrary way in which embankments, bridges and/or culverts have been constructed. Since this is a flash flood, when the rain lets up, the rainwater is supposed to recede quickly. There may be river erosion at that time. However, when the water recedes, there must be no obstruction. So, the bigger concern as to whether we have done adequate river management keeping in mind how flood-prone we are was discussed, though the immediate focus is now on rescue and rehabilitation. I have long been saying that our rivers are losing navigability. We have to address these wider concerns in the long run.​

It is good that these concerns about dam sluice gates were raised with India, but the accountability (what will happen if they fail to notify us) goes un-addressed.

They must call the Joint River Commission immediately and notify Indian side of their failure and consequences of what will happen if they keep ignoring Bangladesh concerns which they have for fifteen years under Hasina.

Enough is enough. It will NOT be business as usual anymore. We have plenty of leverage against India (trade and otherwise) and we will have to use them.