Dhaka: Leaders of the Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) have urged the interim government to address the unilateral water withdrawal from the Teesta River by India on an international platform.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the leaders emphasized that international law prohibits an upstream country from withdrawing water without bilateral agreements that ensure the downstream country’s access and maintain normal river flow. This concern was highlighted during the Teesta Convention organized by the BSD’s Rajshahi and Rangpur division units at the Public Library Hall.
The convention called for equitable distribution of water from the 54 rivers shared with India, protection of the Teesta River, and efforts to prevent encroachment and pollution of all aquatic bodies. The event was presided over by Rangpur District BSD Convener Comrade Abdul Quddus.
Prominent figures such as BSD central committee adviser Comrade Khalequzzaman, assistant general secretary Comrade Razequzzaman Ratan, language movement veteran Mohammad Afzal, CPB Rangpur District Committee President Shahadat Hossain, associate professor Ali Raihan Sarkar from Begum Rokeya University, and river researcher Sheikh Rokan were among the speakers.
Razequzzaman Ratan highlighted the critical role of water in civilization, noting how unilateral control by an upstream country endangers the downstream nation’s biodiversity, climate, and ecosystem. He remarked on the historical presence of 1200 rivers in Bangladesh, which formed a web from upstream to the Bay of Bengal, many of which are now disappearing due to sediment buildup from lack of dredging.
Ratan urged the chief advisor of the interim government to seek a resolution to this issue through international channels.