Hafiz for forming expert team on Tipai Dam with reputed ones

He calls for making public the data, info
Former Water Resources Minister and BNP vice President Major Hafiz Uddin Ahmed (Retd) on Friday said the government should disclose all sorts of data and information about Tipaimukh Dam before the nation immediately if the Indian government has given those to Bangladesh parliamentary delegation during their recent visit.
“The parliamentary team has returned from India but any data, information or any research reports about the possible impact of the dam are yet to be disclosed. The Indian governments did not disclose any information regarding the dam for the last 17 years. Reasons behind this are yet to be known. Although, the parliamentary team could not visit the dam site but they should disclose details information and data about the dam immediately if they have got those,” he made this demand while talking to reporters at his Banani resident in the capital yesterday.
About the role of the incumbent Water Resources Minister and the members of Joint River Commission (JRC) he said voices against the dam have already been raised by the people but the minister and the members of the JRC are playing silent role which has created confusion in public mind.
He said without making any assessment, Abdur Razzak who led the parliamentary team during the visit to the dam site has said India’s plan to build the dam on the river will not be harmful for Bangladesh which is very controversial and against the interest for this nation.
UNB adds: Referring to Prime Minster Sheikh Hasina’s step to form an experts’ team over Dipaimukh Dam, the BNP leader called for forming the team with reputed and internationally known experts of the country, and “not make the team a partisan one.”
He further said the experts’ team should extensively study the impact of the Tipaimukh Dam on Bangladesh.
Replying to a question, Hafiz said he does not think the parliamentary delegation can play any role in resolving a problem like Tipaimukh Dam.
He, however, said the Joint River Commission (JRC), Water Resources Ministry and experts under the Ministry can play a role to resolve the problem.
Adds bdnews24.com: Abdur Razzak, who led the delegation to India to gather the data, told bdnews24.com on Thursday that they had submitted a report to the prime minister of their findings on the trip.
Razzak, who returned from New Delhi just two days ago, said his team had sought further relevant information and Indian government officials had agreed to provide Dhaka with all it required.
“Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has asked the ministry to form an expert committee to review the data we gathered on the trip, and any further information that comes from India,” said Razzak, who is also head of the parliamentary standing committee on water resources.

Courtesy of The Bangladesh Today