The Bangladesh Nationalist Party on Thursday blamed the Awami League for the country鈥檚 prolonged failure to secure its fair share of Ganges water from India.
In a statement marking the 49th anniversary of the historic Farakka Long March on Thursday, BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir alleged that the then Awami League regime had disregarded public opinion and granted India permission to operate the Farakka Barrage on a trial basis, ignoring environmental standards, biodiversity concerns and the risks of natural and human disasters.
鈥楾he barrage, which was supposed to run temporarily, has continued ever since and has now become a death trap,鈥� he said.
Fakhrul said that, in the face of this injustice and the looming threat of environmental catastrophe, the visionary leader of the oppressed, Maulana Bhashani, led a historic march towards Farakka, mobilising public protest against the Indian government and bringing the issue to global attention.
Since then, the Farakka Barrage, responsible for extensive human and ecological sufferings, has remained a matter of international concern and ongoing debate.
Fakhrul mentioned that, in the struggle to secure Bangladesh鈥檚 fair share, the people led by Maulana Bhashani had marched towards Farakka from Rajshahi on May 16, 1976, in a historic display of courage and determination.
He said that since then, May 16 has been observed annually as historic Farakka Day, serving as a source of inspiration for people in their pursuit of rightful entitlements.
Fakhrul said that the significance of Farakka Day still remained highly relevant, as India had continued to unilaterally build dams on the 54 transboundary rivers flowing into Bangladesh, disregarding international laws and conventions.
He warned that this disrupted the natural flow of water and threatened Bangladesh鈥檚 existence, with signs of the country turning into a barren wasteland already emerging.
