Photo: BSS

RANGPUR, Jan 12, 2025 (BSS) - The Riverine People Club of Begum Rokeya
University, Rangpur (BRUR) formed a human chain today seeking redress from
the International Court of Justice to stop India's unilateral withdrawal of
Teesta water.
 
Riverine People Club's Member-secretary Shihab Pradhan moderated the human
chain while its organiser and BRUR teacher of the Department of Bengali
Khairul Islam Polash delivered a welcome speech.
 
Convener of the Riverine People's Club of BRUR Chaomun Patwari Supta presided
over the human chain programme that ended in front of the university gate
this afternoon.
 
Professor of the Department of Bengali of BRUR and Director of the Riverine
People Dr Tuhin Wadud, Head of the Department of Accounting and Information
Systems Umar Faruk, river workers and university students Shamsur Rahman
Suman, Rahamat Ali, among others, addressed.
 
The speakers described the current water-depleted state of the Teesta after
an on-site inspection and discussed the issue of the Bangladesh government
taking effective steps to implement the Teesta Water Treaty and other similar
river water treaties with India.
 
They discussed different aspects of sufferings of the people dependent on the
Teesta River, public life, ecosystems, biodiversity, economy, river erosion
and floods.
 
They discussed the need for Bangladesh to realize its fair share of the
Teesta River water as soon as possible and to seek compensation for the
geological and economic damage caused to Bangladesh due to the unilateral
withdrawal of water by India so far.
 
Dr Tuhin Wadud said that due to India's unilateral withdrawal of water, the
Teesta River is becoming dry. In fact, the agriculture-based economy and
ecosystem of the northern region are suffering due to the water crisis.
 
Dr Tuhin, also an environmentalist, suggested the authorities concerned file
a petition to the International Court of Justice seeking redress from India's
unilateral withdrawal of Teesta water to realize the fair share of the river
water.