Bangladesh will immediately take steps to reach a negotiation with India to ensure its water rights of the common rivers, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, advisor to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the Ministry of Water Resources said on Wednesday.
The negotiations will be held after considering public input, and the outcomes will be shared with the people, she said while addressing a seminar titled “Bangladesh’s Fair Share of Water of Shared Rivers” held at the conference hall of the Pani Bhaban in Dhaka marking the World Rivers Day.
She said the issue of sharing international river waters is complex, the exchange of essential information, such as rainfall data and the location of structures, is critical and should not be politicized.
This exchange can help prevent damage to lives and property, said the adviser of the interim government.
She further noted that a country cannot approach the International Court unilaterally on such matters as both nations need to be involved in the process.
“Sharing rainfall data is a humanitarian issue, crucial for saving lives. Bangladesh's claims will be made clearly and strongly,” she said.
Besides international river water rights, she stressed the importance of protecting the country's internal rivers, describing them as living entities that must be collectively preserved.
The seminar was presided over by Mihir Biswas, convenor of the World Rivers Day Celebration Council, and moderated by Md. Alamgir Kabir, General Secretary of BAPA.
The keynote was delivered by Md. Ejaz, director of the River and Delta Research Center.
Other speakers included Md. Shahidul Islam, prof of Geography and Environment of Dhaka University, and Shamsul Huda, executive director of the Association for Land Reform and Development.
Researchers, environmentalists, and government officials from various universities participated in the seminar.
The speakers discussed methods to ensure equitable distribution of shared river waters and emphasized the need for the application of international law, accurate water data, and the strengthening of bilateral and multilateral discussions on river management.
BDST: 1704 HRS, SEP 25, 2024
MSK
