The Jatiya Party led by Hussein Muhammad Ershad, a major ally the Awami League, will start a two-day ‘long march’ towards Tipaimukh on Saturday to register its protest against the Indian government’s plan to build a dam on the River Barak.
Ershad, the party chairman, will led the march which will start from in front of his Banani office in the capital at 7:00am.
The marchers will start
the journey in buses and cars and hold wayside gatherings at different places before reaching Sylhet where it will hold a rally at the Madrassah Maidan Saturday afternoon.
After an overnight stay at Sylhet, the caravan will resume the journey on Sunday morning and hold a rally in Zokiganj upazila headquarters in the afternoon, the party sources said.
Prior to the long march, Ershad on Thursday at a press conference at his Banani office alleged that the Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh had backed away from his promise to Bangladesh on the Tipaimukh Dam.
Monmohan had committed to build the dam after consulting with Bangladesh and made assurances that the interests of Bangladesh would not be hampered, Ershad said.
‘I believe that Manmohan Singh has failed to keep his promises as India has signed agreements to build the Tipaimukh Dam,’ Ershad said.
The Indian prime minister had assured Bangladesh that India would not do anything that would harm the interests of Bangladesh. Manmohan Singh had also given prime minister Sheikh Hasina similar assurances.
Bangladesh will face serious environmental problems if the dam is built the JP chief said adding that the people would wage a movement against the Indian plan.
He called on the Indian government to drop the plan to build the dam.
JP secretary general ABM Ruhul Amin Hawlader, presidium member GM Quader and other leaders were present at the press conference.
-With New Age input
