Bangladesh to initiate negotiations with India on shared river water rights soon: Rizwana

Bangladesh is set to initiate negotiations with India regarding water rights and the distribution of shared river resources, Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Water Resources said today (25 September).

"The issue of sharing international river waters is complex, but the exchange of essential information, such as rainfall data and the location of structures, is critical and should not be politicised. This exchange can help prevent damage to lives and property," Rizwana said at a World Rivers Day seminar at the Pani Bhaban in Dhaka.

Speaking as the chief guest at a seminar titled "Bangladesh's Fair Share of Water in Shared Rivers," the adviser emphasised that Bangladesh would consider public input before engaging in talks, with the negotiation outcomes shared with the people. While underlining the difficulty of taking such issues unilaterally to international courts, she said both countries must be involved in the process.

Rizwana, also adviser to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said, "Sharing rainfall data is a humanitarian issue, crucial for saving lives. Bangladesh's claims will be made clearly and strongly." 

She also stressed the need to protect internal rivers, describing them as "living entities that must be collectively preserved."

The speakers at the seminar discussed methods to ensure the equitable distribution of shared river waters and emphasised the need for the application of international law, accurate water data, and the strengthening of bilateral and multilateral discussions on river management.

The seminar was presided over by Mihir Biswas, convenor of the World Rivers Day Celebration Council, and moderated by Md Alamgir Kabir, general secretary of BAPA.