United News of Bangladesh

BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman on Saturday said that if BNP forms the government, one of its main priorities will be the swift implementation of the Teesta Master Plan. “The implementation of the Teesta Master Plan is the key demand of the people of this region. So, if BNP comes to power, one of our main tasks will be to start work on the Teesta Master Plan as soon as possible,” he said while addressing an election rally organised by district BNP at the Nilphamari High School ground in the afternoon. He said once the Teesta Master Plan is implemented, the region will become green and fertile again. “Canals and beels will be filled with water, and people will no longer suffer from water shortages for agriculture and other purposes,” he added. Tarique Rahman said leaders and activists of various political parties, including BNP, had sacrificed their lives during the previous regime, and the people of Nilphamari were also subjected to repression for speaking out to protect voting rights. He said people would vote again in the election on the 12th and elect their representatives. “But voting alone is not enough. We must see this election as an election to rebuild the country. If we cannot build the country, we will have no place to go. Our first and last place is Bangladesh,” he said. The BNP chairman said that if BNP forms the government, women would be made economically self-reliant. “We want to introduce family cards for every woman, regardless of religion, so that mothers of hardworking families receive monthly government support,” he said. He also announced plans for farmers, saying that if farmers prosper, the country will prosper. BNP will waive agricultural loans of up to Tk 10,000, including interest, for farmers across the country, he added. Referring to religious leaders, Tarique Rahman said imams, khatibs, muazzins and leaders of other religions contribute to society from birth to death but many live in hardship. “If BNP forms the government, we will ensure respect and a dignified life for them,” he said. He also warned against groups attempting to intimidate voters, saying strict action would be taken against anyone who threatens or misleads voters. Recalling the spirit of the 1971 Liberation War, he said Bangladesh was liberated without discrimination based on religion or caste. “Future politics will be about nation-building and state-building. We want to build the country together with everyone,” he said. Agro-based industries key to improving farmers’ lives: Tarique Highlighting development plans for Nilphamari, he said the Uttara EPZ would be expanded, more factories would be set up, and training centres would be established to develop skilled manpower and create employment opportunities. He also assured the establishment of a medical college in Nilphamari, gradual upgrading of Saidpur Airport into an international airport, and development of the area as an industrial zone to reduce dependence on agriculture. “We want to remove the tag of neglect from Nilphamari-Dinajpur and ensure development of roads, ghats, schools and colleges,” he said. BNP’s Rangpur Divisional Co-Organising Secretary Abdul Khalek, former MP Bilkis Islam, former Joint General Secretary of district BNP Advocate Abu Mohammad Soyem, among others, spoke at the rally.

Leaders of the International Farakka Committee (IFC) have extended their support to the government’s initiative to implement the Teesta Master Plan with Chinese support, saying it is a proper and timely move. Expressing their grave concerns over the recent flooding, the IFC said an untimely flood disaster along the Teesta in Bangladesh has caused extensive damages to the property of lakhs of people along its two banks. Thousands of dwelling houses and homesteads have been washed away with riverbank erosion. Standing crops on lakhs of acres of land have been damaged while roads and embankments have been eroded snapping road-links among the districts of the greater Rangpur region. “In this context, we consider the initiative taken by the government to implement a Teesta master plan with the help of China is a proper and timely one,” the statement said. “Although this project is no substitute for keeping the river alive by ensuring its natural flow, it’s expected to help reduce the damages caused by floods and help improve the lot of the people of the region through coordinated development activities. The river will get a new life when time will come to restore its natural flow,” it said. Read: Implement the Teesta Project with cooperation of China: Intl Farakka Committee The committee said the disaster has been caused by the discharge of floodwater through the Gajoldoba Barrage floodgates following excessive rainfall along the upper catchment of the Teesta in Sikkim. Embankments at about 17 places in the upper Teesta were damaged by the floods. But the Bangladesh authorities were not alerted before releasing the water. Only two weeks before, the Teesta in Bangladesh was a dry barren land as all water was diverted from Gajoldoba Barrage in West Bengal, added the statement. The Teesta River in Bangladesh is a dead river during the dry season. Despite repeated assurances, no treaty has been signed for the management of the river’s water. People now can walk on foot from one bank of the river to the other, according to the statement. Only seepage from the Gajal Doba barrage flows into Bangladesh. During the monsoon, the river causes disastrous floods, the statement pointed out. According to one account, five waves of flood came down the Teesta in 2021 but a disastrous flood as late as October was never experienced before. The statement said last week’s flood disaster has caused extensive losses to at least 80,000 families, according to a preliminary estimate. The damaged property include ripe paddy, onion, garlic, maize, animal fodder, homesteads, clothes, preserved winter garment and household crockery and utensils. Read: Flood: Farakka Committee blasts India’s upstream management of common rivers Bangladesh must do something to pull out three crore people of the Teesta basin from this helpless situation, protect their lives and property and maintain its environmental balance. Bangladesh cannot sit idle in the face of people’s miseries, the statement added. The committee leaders suggest the Teesta Master Plan can be expanded to cover other rivers – Atrai, Korotoa and Punarbhaba, including Chalan Beel which lie in the old Teesta Basin – to ensure overall socio-economic development of the Northwestern region of Bangladesh. This will help recharge groundwater and keep all the tube-wells functional throughout the year. The signatories to the statement were – Atiqur Rahman Salu, chairman, Sayed Tipu Sultan, secretary general, IFC, New York; Prof. Jasim Uddin Ahmad, President, Dr. SI Khan, Senior Vice-President, Syed Irfanul Bari, general secretary of IFC Bangladesh and Mostafa Kamal Majumder, coordinator of IFC.