Zia adds sour note as Dhaka, Delhi discuss river water sharing

DHAKA - Bangladesh opposition leader Khaleda Zia has accused neighbour India of committing “aggression by controlling rivers” as top officials of the two governments discussed sharing of river waters.

Ahead of the summit level talks in New Delhi likely to begin next Monday, the talks on the sharing of Teesta waters were ‘upbeat’ and ‘positive’ on the first day, media reports said.

The talks were resumed Tuesday. Their outcome could have an important impact on the bilateral talks for which Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is to leave for New Delhi.

Zia Monday listed ten points as pre-conditions for joining parliament that her party has been boycotting. Among them is debating the river waters issue with India.

Most of its rivers have silted for lack of dredging and Dhaka has complained of slowing down of water flow of the rivers it shares with India.

India has offered to help in the dredging process, New Nation newspaper reported.

“India prefers carrying out dredging work in Bangladesh part of Ichamoti river to reach an agreement with Dhaka on sharing of waters of Teesta river.

“If India can complete the dredging work before the coming rainy season, it will be able to build embankments on its part of Teesta bank. India wants to ensure Bangladesh’s approval to carry out the dredging in Teesta river during the Bangladesh prime minister’s visit to Delhi from Jan 10,” the newspaper reported.

The neighbours share over 50 rivers.

Ahead of the bilateral talks, the issue has become a subject of political rivalry between Hasina and Zia. The latter has warned of unleashing a protest movement should Hasina not guard Bangladesh’s interests in signing agreements with India.

Zia Monday said “a strong neighbouring state” - indicating India - was carrying out “aggression on Bangladesh by building dams on rivers”.

She made the oblique remark addressing the closing session of the Third International Conference on Environment Affairs of Bangladesh, organised by Bangladesh Paribesh Andolan.

“The regional and international reasons are not also less liable for environmental pollution of Bangladesh apart from our own errors. We are being affected by the carbon emission of the developed countries. At the same time, the strong neighbouring countries are continuing their aggression on us by setting dams on the flow of the rivers,” she was quoted as saying by the United News of Bangladesh.

“India is very much keen to take control of the water of Surma-Kushiara-Meghna basin in the eastern zone of Bangladesh through the one-sided Tipaimukh dam project,” she said.

She expressed concern over the “unwanted interference by India” with the rivers of Bangladesh.