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Long March of Farakka Committee to protest against Indian aggression on water
3/4/2005
More than 2,000 people from different cross section rushed Thursday for Chilmari in Kurigram along the border with India to register protest against India's planned river linking project, reports BDNEWS.
The long March was arranged by the International Farakka Committee to make the public aware about India's 'big brother attitude' towards the neighbouring countries as well as to raise the demand to ensure the legitimate share of Bangladesh in the waters of the common rivers.
Atikur Rahman Yusuf Zai, chairperson of the committee told the news agency that India had been 'conspiring' for desertification in Bangladesh by constructing dams on 54 common rivers. "The Farakka has been affecting the Padma basin since its operationalisation in the early 70's", he added.
"Not only the agricultural production is severely hampered, but also the Sundarbans -- the largest mangrove forest in the world defined as an 'world heritage' by UNESCO -- is also being affected seriously due to the Farakka barrage", he observed.
"India has now planned for the river linking project and this is more damaging than that of the Farakka barrage to Bangladesh," said Syed Tipu Sultan, the secretary general of the committee. "And we would not let our country to become deserted," he added.
The marchers started their campaign from the capital's National Press Club. They are expecting to be joined by more people from different areas at Elenga, Tangail.
The marchers will stay overnight at Kurigram and resume their march to Chilmari Friday morning. The march will terminate there with a grand rally at the 'char' of the river Brahmaputra to register their protest against 'India's aggression', the leaders said.
The committee is demanding the reconciliation of the 1996 water sharing treaty signed between Bangladesh and India in accordance with the provisions of the international law.
The demonstrators also demanded to form a body like that of 'Mekong River Commission', with Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Bhutan and China as its members for fair management of the water resources of the common rivers of the sub-continent.
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