Senior Opposition lawmaker Moudud Ahmed on Wednesday demanded a statement from the foreign minister in Parliament about the current status of the Indian Tipaimukh Dam and River Linking projects, as well as of the Teesta water agreement. The BNP standing committee member was delivering his speech on the “self- clarification” issue. He also demanded that an all-party parliamentary team be formed to keep a tab on the Tipaimukh Dam and River Linking projects, so that the actual situation could be processed. He said they have information that the process of implementing these projects have already started.
He further said that the Teesta water sharing deal was supposed to be signed in 2011, but it has not been signed due to India’s internal problems. “It was expected that the deal would be finalised at the 38th JRC meeting. But the meeting was cancelled two days ahead of the scheduled date. It’s really frustrating. The entire nation wants the deal to be signed,” he added.
On the Tipaimukh Dam issue, he said: “We’ve information that the process of project implementation has already started.”
He claimed that India will gain the most by depriving Bangladesh. “The present government has given everything to India. It hasn’t secured anything for Bangladesh,” he alleged.
Criticising foreign minister Dipu Moni, Moudud said the minister has rejected his proposal. “She claimed that
I wasn’t telling the truth. What I said was true. I can justify it,” he told the House.
Moudud also criticised Amir Hossain Amu as he tried to clarify the issue before the water resources minister and the foreign minister. “Amu doesn’t have any expertise on this issue. But he made statements and resorted to personal attack. He even termed me as intellectually corrupt,” he added.
The BNP lawmaker also said that though Bangladesh needs to maintain good relations with India, the former should not adopt a “policy of slavery”.
“The government is meant to be criticised. It should tolerate such criticism. It ought to prepare proper reply to such critiques,” he added.
Standing on a point of order, the Awami League’s senior lawmaker Tofail Ahmed said the Teesta water agreement is being delayed due to India’s internal issues.
Regarding the Tipaimukh Dam and River Linking projects, he said the Indian government has assured Bangladesh that it would not do anything that could harm the latter.
-With The Independent input
