[🇧🇩] India's Water Terrorism Against Bangladesh

[Saif]

Demos demand fair share of water of common rivers

Teachers and students held demonstrations at different universities across the country on Thursday demanding a fair share of water of the common rivers with...

www.newagebd.net

Demos demand fair share of water of common rivers
Staff Correspondent 23 August, 2024, 00:14

Teachers and students held demonstrations at different universities across the country on Thursday demanding a fair share of water of the common rivers with India.

The demonstrations were held amid a serious deterioration in the flood situation in north-east districts due to the onrush of water from India.

On the Dhaka University campus, students under the Student Movement Against Discrimination platform protested against opening the gates of the Dumbur dam upstream of the Gumti River in Tripura without any prior warning or preparation during a relief collection programme at Teacher-Student Centre of the university, DU correspondent reported.

Criticising India for opening the gates of the dam without any prior warning or preparation, Hasnat Abdullah, a key coordinator of the platform, said that India’s current actions would determine the future of India-Bangladesh relations.

‘If you intentionally push us into a crisis, Bangladesh will take countermeasures,’ warned Hasnat.

Nusrat Tabassum, another coordinator of the platform, told journalists at the programme that people suffered for floods every year.

‘Sometimes it happens due to opening of dams,’ she added.

Teachers and students, meanwhile, demonstrated on the Jahangirnagar University campus protesting at the opening of the gates of the dam in Tripura by the Indian authorities triggering ‘flooding’ in Bangladesh’s vast areas, JU correspondent reported.

Terming the opening of sluice gates across Bangladesh-India border during favourable situation of India as an aggression policy, the demonstrators held India liable for the worsening flood situation in the country.

Under the banner of the Student Movement Against Discrimination, the demonstrators brought out a procession from the altar of the university’s central Shaheed Minar and held a rally in the Battola area.

Professor Jamal Uddin of the university’s environmental sciences department said, ‘The main rivers in Bangladesh lose water receptivity due to construction of Indian dams on almost every common river. Thus, an onrush of water from upstream in the rainy season causes floods.’

New Age staff correspondent in Rajshahi reported that several hundred students and teachers of various educational institutions blocked the Dhaka-Rajshahi highway in front Rajshahi University main gate demanding a fair share of the water agreement with India.

They also protested at opening the gates of the Dumbur dam upstream of the Gumti River in Tripura.

Gholam Kibria Mohammad Meshkat Chowdhury, a coordinator of the Students Movement Against Discrimination, said, ‘India has deprived us of our right to the fair share of water. They constructed dams illegally on various rivers without any discussion with Bangladesh.’

He also warned the Indian government that people of Bangladesh would never be sold into slavery to India.

RU physics professor Saleh Hasan Naqib said that the ousted fascist government had turned Bangladesh into an unwritten colony of India.

‘Good relations should always be maintained with neighbouring countries. But that should be bilateral,’ said Naqib.

Criticising former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s relations with the Indian government, he said, ‘The Indian government has to understand whether they will be friends of Sheikh Hasina or whether the people of Bangladesh.’

Besides, students of Patuakhali Science and Technology University in Patuakhali, Bangamata Sheikh Fojilatunnesa Mujib Science and Technology University in Jamalpur and students under the Student Movement Against Discrimination platform in Bhola, among others, also held demonstrations demanding the fair share of water of the common rivers with India.

A greater part of Bangladesh including Feni, Cumilla, Noakhali has been inundated due to relentless rainfall and a rise in the water level of rivers following a onrush of water from upstream, leaving over 3.6 million people marooned.​

 

[Bilal9]

India claims dam water released ‘automatically’

Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma, in a courtesy meeting with chief adviser to the interim government Professor Mohammad Yunus on Thursday, claimed that water was...

www.newagebd.net

India claims dam water released ‘automatically’
Staff Correspondent 23 August, 2024, 00:12

View attachment 7720
‘We remain committed to resolving issues and mutual concerns in water resources and river water management through bilateral consultations and technical discussions,’ the Indian external affairs ministry said in the statement.​

There won't be any MUTUAL resolution with current administration of India on water resources.

Their only approach right now is to attack Bangladesh in any way they see possible.

We need to keep that in mind and look for defensive strategies.

 

[Saif]

There won't be any MUTUAL resolution with India on water resources.

Their only approach is to attack Bangladesh in any way they see possible.

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.

 

[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.​