Govt serving purpose of India

Tipaimukh Dam
Govt serving purpose of India
Intellectuals allege while inaugurating signature collection
Intellectuals at a programme in the city on Monday alleged that the present Awami League government is serving the purpose of India on Tipaimukh dam issue to perpetuate its power ignoring the national interest of Bangladesh.
“The government which got huge support of the mass people is unfortunately favouring India instead of forming national unity on this issue,” said Professor Emeritus Serajul Islam Chowdhury while inaugurating a signature collection campaign on Tipaimukh dam issue in front of National Museum at Shahbagh.
Ganosanghati Andolon launched the countrywide campaign yesterday aiming to make people aware of the possible effects of the proposed dam.
Prof Chowdhury said it is shocking that some representatives of the government are echoing the Indian voice through declining the possibility of any bad effect on Bangladesh without having any knowledge on the dam. Besides the government is oppressing the people who have raised their voice against the dam, he alleged.
Ahmed Kamal, Chairman of DU History Department, said, while India says that the dam will not harm us, we can not believe them as they used to tell the same thing during the construction of Farakka barrage.
“Now one need not be a specialist to realize the devastation caused by Farakka. This barrage had destroyed the western and northern parts of the country and if the Tipaimukh dam is implemented, the rest of Bangladesh will become a barren place,” he said.
He said the project at the highly earthquake-prone area will put the lives of crores of people in 12 districts in the north-east region of Bangladesh and areas in Indian states of Assam and Manipur under great risk.
Engineer M Inamul Haque said, the project would cause a disastrous situation for the Meghna basin, especially the greater Sylhet region, during the dry season due to large-scale withdrawal of water of the Barak River in the upper stream.
Besides it will cause immense harm to ecology and environment in a large area of both Bangladesh and India, he said.
Coordinator of the organization Zonayed Saki called upon the people to raise their voice against the looming crisis. He said, initially they will collect five lakh signatures from across the country and submit it to foreign ministry and international forums including the United Nations.

Courtesy of The Bangladesh Today