TDS Desk:

A protest rally was held at Dhaka University on Wednesday night, demanding a fair share of water from the international rivers shared between Bangladesh and India and condemning the deliberate release of water from the Dumbur and Gajoldoba dams by India, which has caused sudden flooding in Bangladesh.

The protest, organised under the banner of “General Students of Dhaka University,” took place at the base of the Raju Memorial Sculpture.

Addressing the rally, Hasib Al Islam, coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, said, “Shaheed Abrar Fahad raised his voice against India’s aggression and had to sacrifice his life at the hands of the fascist Hasina. The vote-stealing Awami League, disconnected from the people, had made Delhi its master. Now, the government belongs to the student and people’s movement, won through bloodshed. Delhi, forget your dominance and aggression. The time of the fascist Hasina is over.”

He said, “India has been rejected by neighbouring countries like Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives due to its aggression. If the dominance continues, the people of Bangladesh will also reject you. Friendship should be based on fairness and equality, not on dominance. The unequal agreements made with India must be cancelled. The fascist Hasina should be sent back to Bangladesh under the prisoner exchange agreement.”

Referring to India as responsible for the sudden floods in Bangladesh, Sultana from the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies said, “This is not a natural disaster. This is an artificial flood created by India. They are celebrating after opening the dams. We want to warn that the student community will not let this go. We want to tell the government that we must receive our fair share of the international river water distribution.”

AB Jubayer of the Islamic Studies Department said, “The opening of the Dumbur Dam in Tripura has caused flooding in Cumilla, Noakhali, Lakshmipur and Feni. India shares 54 rivers with Bangladesh, of which they have built dams on 30. They have constructed dams on international rivers. During the summer, India keeps these dams closed, depriving us of water and preventing farmers from cultivating crops. But during the monsoon, we are forced to drown due to the dam’s release. We do not want this double standard.”

After the rally, the students marched around the Vice-Chancellor’s office and returned to the Raju Sculpture, where they concluded their programme.