Dhaka: Tomorrow marks the historic Farakka Long March Day, commemorating the 1976 mass rally organized by Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani. The rally, stretching from Rajshahi to the Kansat border of Chapai-Nawabganj, protested India’s unilateral withdrawal of Ganges river water and demanded water rights for the people of Bangladesh.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the aftermath of this long march saw President Ziaur Rahman’s government raising the Ganges water issue at the United Nations, leading to the signing of the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty in 1977. This treaty, later renewed in 1996 for another 30 years, is set to expire in December this year.
Leaders of the International Farakka Committee (IFC) stressed in a joint statement on Friday the importance of addressing the current treaty’s shortcomings and advocating for its renewal with amendments or a new agreement before its expiration. The 1996 agreement overlooked critical issues like water usage from upstream dams, resulting in a 30% decrease in Bangladesh’s water intake during the treaty period.
In 1997, the first year of the treaty’s implementation, the Ganga water flow into Bangladesh dropped to approximately 6,000 cusecs, far below the expected 35,000 cusecs. Concerns about potential upstream overuse were voiced by Bangladeshi environmentalist and former Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Moniruzzaman Miah, immediately after the agreement’s signing.
Compounding the issue, for the last two decades, Teesta River water has been diverted to the Ganges, depriving Bangladesh of water in dry seasons. Additionally, India’s inter-river interlinking plan and upstream construction of dams on the remaining 52 common rivers have disrupted annual flooding patterns in Bangladesh, leading to environmental challenges.
The lack of water from the Ganges and Teesta has resulted in environmental disasters in Bangladesh’s southwestern and northern regions. Small rivers have dried, heavily impacting the environment, habitats, livelihoods, biodiversity, and ecosystems. Even the Sundarbans, a world heritage site, is under threat due to the diminished river flow.
The IFC leaders emphasized that Bangladesh, the world’s largest delta, owes its existence to sediment from 54 common rivers flowing through it. A press release on Friday evening highlighted that upstream dams threaten the geographical and ecological existence of Bangladesh. The leaders argued that international laws regarding rivers, environment, habitats, biodiversity, and ecosystems should prevent disruption of natural river flows by political borders.
Despite the 30-year agreement, insufficient flow continues to cause environmental issues in the southwestern region. The Bangladeshi government plans to build a barrage on the Ganges, though without an integrated management structure, water might not reach it in dry seasons.
The IFC’s joint statement, signed by Chairman Syed Tipu Sultan, Secretary General Mohammad Hossain Khan, Chief Advisor Professor Jasim Uddin Ahmed, President Mustafa Kamal Majumder, and General Secretary Syed Mahmud Hasan, calls for strengthened efforts to preserve Bangladesh’s riverine existence by drawing lessons from Maulana Bhasani’s historic Farakka Long March.