FENI, Sept 6: Renowned experts, civil society representatives, journalists and students have demanded that India be tried in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) with the help of the United Nations and compensate the victims for flooding 11 districts of the country, including Feni, by opening river dams.
The recent flooding that has submerged Feni and ten other districts in Bangladesh.
They made the demand on Friday at a rally titled 'Strike for Water Justice'. The event, organized by the Feni Citizens' Platform 'Amra Fenibasi', drew participants from various sectors, including experts, journalists, and students.
The rally, held at the Shaheed Minar premises in Feni, was presided over by Professor Dr. Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumdar, Dean of the Faculty of Science at Stamford University and an environmental scientist.
During the event, Shahadat Hossain, Editor of Daily Feni and General Secretary of the Feni District Committee of Citizens for Good Governance (Sujan), presented the '11-Point Feni Declaration'.
The programme was moderated by Burhan Uddin Faisal, one of the organizers of the 'Amra Fenibasi' platform. Key speakers included water and river expert Mohammad Ejaz, Mihir Biswas from the Buriganga Save Movement, and environmental activists Humayun Kabir Suman, among others.
Notably, Professor Liaquat Ali Bhuiyan, a central leader of Jamaat-e-Islami, also expressed solidarity with the cause towards the end of the event.
Professor Dr. Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumdar criticized India, stating that the flooding was not merely a natural disaster but a result of intentional actions by India.
He highlighted the severe mental, physical, and financial damage suffered by the people of Feni and other affected districts and called on the international community to demand proper compensation from India.
He also advocated for the removal of dams and barriers on all shared rivers.
Mohammad Ejaz emphasized that the recent floods were a direct consequence of India's ability to disrupt Bangladesh's water resources at will, citing the 68 dams constructed by India on 54 shared rivers.
He accused India of deliberately controlling the flow of the Feni River and criticized the government of Sheikh Hasina for failing to address the issue effectively.
Mihir Biswas asserted that the people of Feni are resilient and will continue to fight against water aggression from India. He urged India to adopt fair practices regarding water distribution.
Humayun Kabir Suman suggested that the flooding was more politically than naturally driven and called for India to be held accountable in international courts.
Journalist leader M. Abdullah denounced India for its broader aggressive actions, including border killings and trade aggression, and warned that continued misconduct would come at a cost.
The '11-Point Feni Declaration' includes demands such as:
1. Removal of all dams and barriers from transboundary rivers.
2. Accountability for the intentional dam breach by India in Feni's Parshuram region, with international court proceedings supported by the UN.
3. Immediate reconstruction of the protective dam at Mohuri Char.
4. Ensuring fair water allocation for Bangladesh and stopping illegal water extraction from the Feni River.
5. Proper compensation for all flood-affected citizens.
6. Compensation and incentives for agriculture, fisheries, poultry, and other businesses.
7. Rapid assessment and repair of damages to education and infrastructure sectors.
8. Immediate measures to prevent riverbank erosion and reconstruction of the Musapur Closure.
9. Addressing global climate change impacts and seeking compensation from responsible countries while enforcing climate change mitigation measures in Bangladesh.
10. Preventing obstructions in water bodies under the guise of development and restoring navigability to filled canals and rivers.
11. Effective measures to prevent river and environmental pollution and halt deforestation.
Local youth organizations such as Feni District Volunteer Family, Youth Net Global Feni Branch, Eco Revolution, and others also participated in the event, underscoring the broad community support for the cause. —UNB
