TDS Desk:

Syeda Rizwana Hasan, the interim government’s adviser on environment and water resources, has said Dhaka will engage in discussions with New Delhi regarding shared rivers, including the Teesta.

She said the government will start working on this issue with consideration of the opinions of people living along the Teesta River.

In a press briefing in her office at the Secretariat on Wednesday, Rizwana said: “Just as West Bengal’s Mamata Banerjee considers her own people’s interests, we will also take into account the needs of our people when making decisions about the Teesta project.”

“The interim government may approach the international stage, if necessary while maintaining friendly relations with India,” she added.

Earlier, Syeda Rizwana Hasan held a meeting with a World Bank delegation, which offered financial and technical assistance for river conservation in Bangladesh.

She also mentioned that the Department of Environment has been instructed to provide a list of the country’s most polluted rivers and polluting entities.

Furthermore, she announced that an operation to ban polythene would commence in September.

She said: “While we may not have billions to spend on river protection, we will undertake various small projects to safeguard our rivers.”