Bangladesh will soon take steps to start negotiations with India over its rightful share of water from transboundary rivers, said Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and the Ministry of Water Resources on Wednesday.
"Public opinion will be taken into consideration during the negotiations, and the outcomes will be shared with the people," she said while speaking at a seminar titled "Bangladesh's Fair Share of Water in Shared Rivers," held at the conference hall of the Pani Bhaban in the capital, in observance of World Rivers Day, as a chief guest.
"The issue of sharing water from international rivers is complex," she said, emphasizing the need for the exchange of crucial information, including rainfall data and the location of structures.
"This data exchange should be free from political influence, as it is critical for preventing damage to lives and property."
She further noted that a country cannot approach the International Court unilaterally on such matters; both nations must be involved.
Sharing rainfall data is a humanitarian issue, crucial for saving lives, said Rizwana adding. "Bangladesh's claims will be made clearly and strongly."
She also stressed the importance of protecting the country's internal rivers, describing them as living entities that must be collectively preserved.
The seminar was presided over by Mihir Biswas, convenor of the World Rivers Day Celebration Council, and moderated by Md Alamgir Kabir, General Secretary of BAPA.
The keynote presentation was delivered by Md Ejaz, Director of the River and Delta Research Center. Other speakers included Md Shahidul Islam, Professor of Geography and Environment at Dhaka University, and Shamsul Huda, Executive Director of the Association for Land Reform and Development.
Researchers, environmentalists, and government officials from various universities participated in the seminar.
The speakers discussed methods to ensure equitable distribution of shared river waters and emphasized the need for the application of international law, accurate water data, and the strengthening of bilateral and multilateral discussions on river management. —UNB
