People’s unity urged to establish right on 54 common rivers

Khandakar Nazimuddin, president Moulana Bhasani Foundation, Tangail, speaking at a discussion meeting on Farakka LOng March day on Thursday 16 May 2024

Speakers at a discussion meeting organized to mark the 48th Farakka Long March Day commemorating the historic Farakka Long March led by Moulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani on 16 May 1976 called for people’s unity to secure Bangladesh’s right on 54 common rivers.

The discussion meeting organized by the Moulana Bhasani Foundation at the Tangail Public Library auditorium with Khandakar Nazimuddin, chairman of the foundation in the chair paid glowing tribute to Moulana Bhasani who launched the long march only six months before his death as water of the Ganges was being withdrawn unilaterally without any treaty.

The long march not only created a national unity on the resolve to establish the rightful share of Bangladesh on the Ganges water but also garnered international support to the sad plight of the country and helped create an environment for the signing of the 1977 Ganges Water Sharing Treaty with an 80-percent guarantee clause.

Mostafa Kamal Majumder, Editor, GreenWatch Dhaka and coordinator of the International Farakka Committee was the chief guest at the function which was also addressed by Poet Bulbul Khan Mahbub and Syed Irfanul Bari, advisers to the Bhashani Foundation, Adv Golam Mostafa Mian, ex-president, Tangail Bar Association, Abul Kalam Mostafa Labu, president, Tangail Babosayi Oikya Jote, Advocate Shafiqul Islam Ripon, vice-president Moulana Bhasani Foundation and Mahmudul Huq Sanu, secretary general of the foundation among others.

The speakers recalled that Moulana Bhasani organized the long march disregarding his illness at the age of 96 creating a great suspense internationally because his vow was to demolish the Farakka Barrage from where Ganges water was being diverted. 

The great leader however, ultimately returned after holding a big rally at Kansat near the border voicing the people’s demand for the rightful share of water. Never before was such a long march organized for establishing the right of water in riverine Bangladesh.

Mostafa Kamal Majumder said that all political parties and people of all shades of opinion in Bangladesh are united on the demand for Bangladesh’s share of the 54 common rivers, because water diversion by structures created on those has been deprieving Bangladesh of normal rainy season inundation of the flood plains while alternatively wreaking flood havoc in different river basins.

He said Bangladesh is suffering from the loss of biodiversity as dry floodplains no longer grow the aquatic plants, shrubs ans algae which used to be the feed for indigenous varieties of fish most of which have disappeared. The flood plains are also losing organic content in soil and losing fertility.

The withdrawal of water has also destroyed the sweet water-saline water balance in the coastal areas and salinity in water has intruded as far as 300 kilometres inland threatening environmental and ecological balance. Sundri, the dominant species of the Sundarbans has started disappearing as a result, he added.