River-linking
Govt urged to stop Indian project
Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa), an environmental organisation, yesterday demanded the government ask the Indian authorities to immediately cancel its river-linking project, which, once implemented, would have serious environmental consequences in Bangladesh.
The casualties of the project will be many times that of the Farakka barrage, speakers said at a rally organised by Bapa before Jatiya Press Club. The river project has also generated protests inside India too, they said, calling the government to act soon.
The Indian Supreme Court, on February 27, gave the go-ahead to the project. It aims to link 30 major rivers and divert the course of the Ganges and the Brahmaputra, which snake through Bangladesh, the speakers said.
They said the decision had drawn reactions from across the entire Indian sub-continent, while environmentalists and common people of India questioned the project.
For due reasons, the people of Bangladesh are concerned and raised the demand of stopping it immediately, as the project would destroy the nature, environment and economy of the country. It will also put at risk the very existence of Bangladesh, they said.
A Bapa press release said similar rallies were staged by expatriate Bangladeshis in the US, Australia, Germany, Canada and Japan at the call of Bangladesh Environment Network.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments