Tipaimukh-Rivers Commission (JRC) Bapa opposes Tipai survey team NHRC chief asks India to follow international laws,Bangladesh

BANGLADESH NEWS

Environmentalists on Monday demanded removal of the currently nominated Bangladeshi members of the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC) and withdrawal of the investment Bangladesh has planned for the proposed Tipaimukh dam project.

The nominated Bangladeshi members of the JRC are inexperienced and incapable of undertaking responsibilities of the project, said speakers at a press conference organised jointly by Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon (Bapa) and Jatiya Nodi Rokkha Andolon (JNRA) in the city.

Meanwhile at a separate programme, Chairman of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Prof Mizanur Rahman said in building the Tipaimukh dam, the Indian government must follow the international laws to ensure safety of Bangladesh’s environment.

The concerns came in the context of a meeting between the Bangladeshi members and their Indian counterparts slated on August 27-28 in New Delhi to study the impacts of the Tipaimukh dam project.

At the joint press conference of Bapa and JNRA, Prof Asif Nazrul of Dhaka University raised questions about the government's handling of the dam issue saying, “Two members from the Bangladeshi side -- Mir Sazzad Hossain and engineer MA Kashem -- have no experience or expertise of handling the issue while the others are bureaucrats who do not have independent opinion for placing argument in the meeting.”

He demanded an explanation why people such as noted climate expert Prof Ainun Nishat or Dr Akbar Ali Khan, former adviser to a caretaker government, were not nominated for the committee, as it was proposed by Finance Minister AMA Muhith.

The speakers urged to constitute a “neutral committee” comprising foreign experts to assess the impacts of the project.

“We suspect that India will complement the expenses under the Fulertal Barrage project by diverting water for irrigation in the barren Cachar district in Assam as recommended by Shukla Commission,” said Bapa General Secretary Dr Abdul Matin, adding that it is potentially dangerous for Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, NHRC chief spoke on the issue at a workshop on “Universal Periodic Review: Follow-up on the Recommendations on Climate Change and Disaster Management” in the city.

“The Indian government can build Tipaimukh dam for its own interest but it must follow international laws ensuring the neighbouring country’s environmental security,” he said at the workshop.

Due to geographical location, the possibility of damage caused by natural disasters is acute in Bangladesh as it is in the downstream while India is in upstream, said the NHRC boss.