Adviser for Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Spokeswoman of Bangladesh’s interim government, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, speaks during a press briefing in Dhaka on August 13, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP
Bangladesh may consider approaching an international platform for resolving the Teesta waters dispute, the new interim government’s adviser on water, forest, environment and climate change Syeda Rizwana Hasan said on Wednesday.
Referring to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s assertive stance on the Teesta, Ms. Hasan said the interim administration led by Nobel laureate Mohammed Yunus would take up the issues related to shared rivers between the two countries “forcefully”.
“We will not back down from presenting the rights of Bangladesh on the waters of the Teesta. You must have seen that in India, Mamata Banerjee says that she will not give us water while depriving her own people. So we will bring up the aspirations of our people living along the banks of the Teesta to the table,” Ms. Hasan said at a press interaction in the secretariat.
Advocating for Bangladesh
Ms. Hasan has been one of Bangladesh’s biggest champions for the environment and water resources, for which she won the 2012 Magsaysay award. She announced that Bangladesh’s new government would hold a dialogue with New Delhi regarding the shared rivers, including the Teesta. “The Joint River Commission has been negotiating on the Teesta waters but this time we will include the people who live along the Teesta in Bangladesh,” she promised.
“Whether we will get the water or not is not in our hands but we will have to speak about the issue always. This we will convey very clearly to India,” said Ms. Hasan, noting that Bangladesh has agreements with India on shared rivers such as the Kushiyara and Feni. She added that Dhaka and New Delhi will have to negotiate the renewal of their 1996 Ganga water sharing agreement, which was concluded during the now-ousted Sheikh Hasina’s first tenure as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh. The Kushiyara agreement was signed in September 2022, when Ms. Hasina had visited New Delhi, finalising the first agreement on shared rivers since the 1996 Ganga agreement.
The Teesta negotiations, however, did not make any progress during Ms. Hasina’s latest 15-year tenure that ended on August 5, when her government was toppled by a massive public movement.
‘Just demands’
Discussing her ‘mandate’ to look after Bangladesh’s interests with regard to the shared rivers, Ms. Hasan said, “We will maintain friendly relations with India but we will present our claims and demands forcefully and may even approach international platforms to speak about our just demands.” She pointed out that Bangladesh has received invitations to discuss water-related matters from multiple countries, including from China. “Wherever we feel necessary, we will send our interlocutor,” Ms. Hasan said.
The shared rivers between the two countries came to the forefront on Wednesday as parts of eastern Bangladesh, especially Comilla and Moulavibazar, were inundated after heavy rains lashed neighbouring Tripura over the last few days.
Protests continue
Dhaka, which was battered by heavy rains on Wednesday, was additionally rocked by dramatic protests by students, workers and shopkeepers who demanded punishment for businessmen who were associated with the former PM, Ms. Hasina.
The police maintained a vigil and chose not to carry out any punitive action even as the capital witnessed daylong chaos on the roads because of the protest. The police forces continue to attend public duty without arms, and are often seen under the care of the military. Public sentiment continues to run high because of the large number of casualties that took place in police firing in the first few days of August.