Member secretary of the National Citizens’ Committee and former social welfare secretary of Dhaka University Central Student Union, Akhter Hossen, at a rally on Sunday said that India used to open barrage on Teesta without prior notice.
He made the remark at the protest rally organised under the banner of the Students from the Teesta Region at the base of the Anti-Violence Raju Memorial Sculpture on Dhaka University campus.
The rally protested at the alleged opening of the Gajoldoba Barrage, causing sudden floods in the Rangpur division.
Whenever the people of the northern region produce crops, India opens the Teesta Barrage without any prior notice, Akhter Hossen stated.
Mentioning that every year the Indian government opens the barrage, causing damage to the lives and property of the people in northern region of the country, Akhter pointed out, ‘Even though, Bangladesh has a River Research Institute, we do not see any activity from it.’
Akhtar stressed that the past governments did not allocate adequate budget for the development of Rangpur.
The student leader also warned, ‘If the barrage is opened suddenly like this, the engagement with Delhi must be looking them in the eye.’
He also urged the interim government to take prompt steps for a permanent solution to the flood situation in northern region.
Saidur Rahman, a student of the Department of Communication Disorders, said that northern Bangladesh was always a neglected region. ‘No one pays attention to it, even though a significant portion of agricultural production comes from there.’
We appeal to the interim government to quickly resolve the flooding issue in the Teesta region without any further delay, he urged.
They also demanded the fair share of all international rivers shared with India, and called for the implementation of the Teesta Master Plan.
