Tarique accuses India of ignoring int鈥檒 norms
Thousands of people from different northwestern districts on Tuesday, the final day of the 48-hour sit-in programme, gathered on the bank of Teesta in Lalmonirhat demanding a fair share of Teesta鈥檚 water and the implementation of the Teesta Master Plan.
The demonstrators, mostly those affected by the drying up of the Teesta and its erosion, carried banners, posters, and placards reading the movement鈥檚 slogan 鈥楯ago Bahe, Teesta Bachai鈥� (Rise up, save the Teesta).
India is blamed for the arbitrary withdrawal of water upstream across the border and it is slowly but steadily killing the Teesta in Bangladesh.
Many of the protesters set up makeshift sleeping areas on the Teesta鈥檚 sandy banks, bringing quilts, blankets, and utensils for the 48-hour sit-in. They spent the night following Monday in tents as a symbolic act of protest.
Addressing the concluding ceremony of the sit-in programme organised by the Teesta River Protection Movement Committee at the Teesta Railway Bridge point in Lalmonirhat, Bangladesh Nationalist Party acting chairman Tarique Rahman on Tuesday accused India of failing to uphold international rules and behaving 鈥榰nneighbourly鈥� towards Bangladesh regarding the long-standing Teesta water-sharing issue and other bilateral matters.
鈥業ndia has given nothing to Bangladesh and its people except sheltering a dictator who fled the country amid a mass uprising on August 5,鈥� he said.
If India delays to ensure the fair share of Teesta water, all possible domestic and international options should be explored to secure Bangladesh鈥檚 share of water, he said.
Tarique said that engaging with global platforms, including the United Nations, could help amplify聽 the country鈥檚 position on the issue.
The BNP leader said that, alongside international efforts, there was no alternative to implementing the Teesta Master Plan to protect the northern region from desertification.
鈥業f the BNP is entrusted with governing the state with public support, we will prioritise and take all necessary steps to implement the Teesta Master Plan,鈥� Tarique said.
He said that the people of the country want to reconsider all the inequitable agreements, including the one over transshipment facilities, signed with the neighbouring country.
Tarique said that Hasina had remained in power through vote rigging and had positioned herself as a servant to India to remain in power.
鈥楩riendship with all and malice towards none is the fundamental slogan of our foreign policy. However, it is time to reconsider this principle based on current realities,鈥� he said.
He said that true friendship should not come at the cost of human lives, as the people of Bangladesh can no longer bear the sight of tragic incidents like Felani鈥檚 death or the loss of innocent lives along the border.
Tarique also said that the advisors of the interim government had been making various statements regarding the national elections, which was creating space for the fallen fascists.
He said that the BNP had repeatedly called on the interim government to announce a clear roadmap for the upcoming national election.
A march was also held on Tuesday.
The march began at about 11:30am, covering approximately four kilometres from the Lalmonirhat end of the Teesta Bridge to Kaunia in Rangpur, drawing a vast crowd.
People from all walks of life, including BNP leaders, activists, and local residents, joined the march. They chanted slogan 鈥楯ago Bahe, Teesta Bachai鈥� (Rise up, save the Teesta).
On Tuesday, the Teesta Protection Movement Committee held rallies, processions, and cultural performances at 11 locations across Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Nilphamari, and Kurigram.
Protesters engaged in traditional music, dance, and sporting events to highlight their cause.
By morning, large crowds gathered along Teesta riverbanks.
Aliur Rhaman, 55, a farmer from Dhusmara Char of Kawnia upazila who joined the rally said that they joined the programme on Monday morning.聽 Hundreds of farmers and people, who live on the river basin in the upazila lost their lands and livelihood due to water aggression of India, the protesters said.聽
They have joined the rally and stayed on the shoal between Monday morning and Tuesday evening to raise their voice against the deprivation and discrimination.
BNP organising secretary and Lalmonirhat district BNP president Asadul Habib Dulu led the mass rally as the chief coordinator. He chaired the event.