The two-day Dhaka-Teesta long march of the BNP ended on Wednesday through holding a public meeting at Hatibandha in Nilphamari, near the Teesta Barrage. The party observed the programme for fair share of water of 54 common rivers, including that of the Teesta, from India. Led by the party acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, the long march began from city’s Uttara on Tuesday morning. During the long march, BNP held six wayside rallies and two public meetings. The wayside rallies were held at Kaliakoir in Gazipur, Tangail, Kodda intersection in Sirajganj, Bogra, Gobindaganj and Palashbari in Gaibandha on Tuesday. The marchers stayed Tuesday overnight in Rangpur and left the city for Nilphamari on Wednesday morning after holding a public meeting at Rangpur Town Hall premises with BNP’s Rangpur district unit convener Mozaffar Hossain in the chair. The BNP held its concluding rally at Hatibandha Helipad after reaching there in the afternoon.Addressing the Hatibandha rally, BNP vice chairman Maj (Retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed said that the party would hold a massive long march led by the party Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia in early winter in November. BNP senior leaders Lt Gen (Retd) Mahbubur Rahman, Barrister Jamir Uddin Sircar, Nazrul Islam Khan, Dr M Osman Faruk, Begum Selima Rahman and Abdullah-al-Noman, Jamaat assistant secretary general Prof Mujibur Rahman, Kazi Zafar Ahmed of Jatiya Party (Zafar), Maulana Abdul Latif Nejami of Islami Oikya Jote and Shafiul Alam Prodhan of Jagpa also addressed the meeting with BNP organising secretary Asadul Habib Dulu in the chair. Mirza Fakhrul said the present government has failed to ensure fair share of water from Teesta and other common rivers due to its submissive foreign policy. Public interest like rightful share of water can’t be ensured until a government elected by the people is established, he added. The Awami League-led government assumed power illegally, he said adding it does not want to make those (India) unhappy who helped it to assume power. An organised movement is needed to oust the government, he said. He called upon all to unite to wage a movement for a fresh national election. Mirza Fakhrul also urged the neighbouring country to ensure 10,000 cusecs of water to Bangladesh from the Teesta River to maintain good relations between the two countries. Friendly relationship between the two countries depends on fair share of water of the common rivers, he said. If Bangladesh does not get rightful share of the Teesta water, BNP will be forced to launch massive movement on the issue, he said. Earlier at the Rangpur rally, Mirza Fakhrul said, “Fair share of Teesta water is our rights. We are fighting for the rights. We are not waging any movement against Bangladesh or Indian government. Our environmental and ecological balance is at risk. Specially, our farmers and fishermen have become victims of the adverse impact of the barrage. We have started the movement to ensure the equitable share of water of the common rivers, including Teesta.”He said that a huge area of the northern region of the country would turn into desert due to control on Teesta water by India. He urged the Bangladesh government to take immediate steps so that India signs a deal on Teesta water sharing. He also called upon the countrymen to raise their voice for forcing India to give Bangladesh its due share of Teesta water and sign the deal in this regard.Earlier, the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) and Bangladesher Samajtantrik Dal (BSD) held a three-day Dhaka-Teesta long march, which ended on April 19 while some other left leaning parties also held another three-day long march that ended on April 10.
