Dhaka: Speakers at a national seminar on transboundary water issues have stressed the need for Bangladesh to pursue water diplomacy and management based on national interest, scientific evidence, fairness, and long-term planning. They emphasized the importance of addressing both flood-season water abundance and dry-season scarcity through stronger river-basin management, scientific planning, political commitment, and coordinated diplomacy.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Prime Minister Finance and Planning Adviser Dr. Rashed Al Mahmud Titumi, speaking as the chief guest, noted, "The issues are technical, but the solutions must ultimately be political and guided by our national interest." The seminar, titled 'Transboundary Water Sharing Issues and Padma Barrage,' took place at North South University and called for national preparedness, evidence-based water diplomacy, regional dialogue, technically sound river management, and coordinated policy action to protect Bangladesh's water security, ecological balance, and sustainable development.
Dr. Titumir highlighted the need for Bangladesh to address water abundance and scarcity through long-term planning, political commitment, and scientific management. He emphasized the ecological value of rivers, stating, "A river should not be understood merely by its number, but by its ecosystem and the wider impacts it creates." He also pointed out that the proposed Padma Barrage is not just an engineering project but a national development concern linked to agriculture, livelihoods, and the future of western and southwestern Bangladesh.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister, Environment, Forests, and Climate Change Affairs Dr. Md. Saimum Parvez underscored the government's environmental priorities, including tree plantation, canal digging, waste-to-wealth initiatives, renewable energy, and a greener Bangladesh. He mentioned that efficient water use and regional power trade can create pathways for mitigating transboundary water disputes and noted that water-sharing challenges should be understood through river-basin dynamics and their economic implications.
Dr. Mohammad Abul Hossen, former Member of the Joint Rivers Commission, delivered the keynote speech, discussing river-basin management, hydro-economic modelling, benefit sharing, efficient water use, and regional power trade as potential pathways for reducing transboundary water disputes. Mohammad Sufiur Rahman, Senior Research Fellow at South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG), NSU, presented a policy and diplomacy presentation, emphasizing the need to build synergy with relevant Indian stakeholders and restore natural river flows through fair and cooperative water-sharing arrangements.
Former Ambassador Sufiur highlighted the importance of treating water as a shared resource rather than a commercial commodity, stating that equity, fairness, and the principle of causing no harm should be central to water-sharing negotiations. The discussion included contributions from experts such as Engr ANH Akhter Hossain, former Secretary of the Government of Bangladesh, and Dr. Md. Ataur Rahman, Professor, Department of Water Resources Engineering, BUET, who called for a stronger national framework combining engineering knowledge, environmental protection, legal preparedness, basin-level planning, and diplomacy.
Shafik Islam, Professor of Tufts University, described the issue as "engineering diplomacy, where rigor meets reality," and emphasized that understanding the patterns, structures, and mental models beneath treaties is essential. The session was chaired by Professor Abdul Hannan Chowdhury, Vice-Chancellor of North South University, who advocated for scientific and engineering solutions to manage Bangladesh's water resources effectively.
Professor Md. Sirajul Islam, Professor of CEE, NSU, emphasized the need for water-resource planning that considers seasonal river changes, sedimentation, transparency, and expert opinion before major interventions. In his concluding remarks and vote of thanks, Professor Sk. Tawfique M. Haque, Director of SIPG, NSU, urged policymakers to be prepared for multiple negotiation scenarios, advocating for greater cohesion and civility in South Asian negotiations.
The seminar, jointly organized by SIPG and the CEE, NSU, at North South University, brought together policymakers, water experts, engineers, diplomats, academics, and civil society representatives to discuss Bangladesh's water security, the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, the Teesta issue, and the proposed Padma Barrage.