Ganges treaty renewal, 20,000km dredging demanded

Save the River Movement Bangladesh (Nodi Bachao Andolan) has demanded renewal of the Ganges water-sharing treaty with a guarantee clause, implementation of the Padma Barrage and Teesta projects by March 2027, and restoration of 20,000 kilometres of rivers and canals.

The demands were raised at a human chain and citizens’ rally organised by the movement in Dhaka on Saturday, chaired by its central president, Professor Md Anwar Sadat.

Speakers included central vice-presidents Dr SM Shafiqul Islam Kanu, Dr Md Lutfor Rahman, Dr Mohsin Ali Mondal Prince and Mihir Biswas; joint secretaries Professor Dr Iftekharul Alam Masud, Md Tajul Islam and Dr Borhan Aranya; organising secretary Kalimullah Iqbal; biodiversity secretary Khandaker Hasibur Rahman; Dhaka metropolitan president Mohosinul Karim Lebu; Gazipur district president Professor Mohammad Shafiqul Islam; Narayanganj district president Zaman Bhuiyan; and central members Md Azam Khan, Abdul Halim Sarker, Md Anwar Hossain, Abdul Malek, Shamim Mohammad, Abdul Alim, Sirajul Islam Nannu, Ali Azam Sumon, Shahriar Azim Sujon and Md Mizanur Rahman Khan, among others.

They said the 30-year Ganges water-sharing treaty, signed by Bangladesh and India in 1996 and due to expire in December this year, must be renewed with provisions ensuring Bangladesh’s fair and predictable share of water. 

Citing the 1977 Ganges water-sharing agreement as a precedent, they called for safeguards for the country’s agricultural, environmental, energy, economic and food security, alongside a long-term understanding on equitable sharing of transboundary rivers.

The speakers said Bangladesh and India share 221 rivers, although official figures identify 54 common rivers, underscoring the need for comprehensive cooperation.

They urged the government to implement the Padma Barrage and Teesta projects by March 2027, in line with its election pledges, prioritising sustainable water management, irrigation, power generation, economic viability and food security. Similar initiatives on other major transboundary rivers could improve water storage and drought resilience, they said.

Welcoming the government’s plan to dredge and restore 20,000 kilometres of rivers and canals, they said it could replenish groundwater, create safe drinking-water reservoirs and improve irrigation.

However, they warned that dredging alone would not restore rivers without tackling pollution and illegal occupation.

The movement called for legal action against nearly 60,000 river grabbers identified by the National River Conservation Commission, eviction of illegal occupants and strict enforcement of effluent treatment plant (ETP) requirements for polluting industries and establishments.

Referring to the government’s recognition of 2,413 rivers and waterways as living entities, the speakers demanded recovery of occupied river areas, protection of aquatic ecosystems and the start of restoration work during the dry season.

The rally ended with a call for concrete action to fulfil the government’s commitments to river conservation and water security.