‘Teesta, Ganges issues to be discussed during PM's India visit’

Water Resources Minister Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud said here yesterday the issues of Teesta agreement and the Ganges Barrage Project would be discussed with equal importance during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's upcoming visit to India.

He made the remarks while speaking at a 'Meet the Press', organized by Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) at its Sagor-Runi auditorium here.

DRU president Shakawatt Hossain Badshah presided over the function while its general secretary Morsalin Nomani moderated it.

Anisul Islam Mahmud said Prime Minister of India Norendra Modi and former Indian Prime Minister Dr Monmohan Singh had given commitment to Bangladesh about the signing of Teesta agreement and expressed his optimism that they would not be deviated from their promise.

On a query about any progress would be made regarding Teesta agreement during Sheikh Hasina's Delhi visit, the water resources minister said discussion on Teesta agreement is going on between the two countries.

Replying to another question about Ganges Barrage, he said "We are giving equal importance to both the Teesta agreement and the Ganges Barrage Project."

Laying importance on river dredging, Anisul said a number of countries have already expressed their interests for transporting sand to their respective countries after dredging the rivers in Bangladesh.

He said the interested countries would take up the task of dredging the rivers here by themselves and the process of dredging would start with the Jamuna river.

The water resources minister said over 1.2 billion tonnes sediment come from neighbouring countries through the rivers of Ganges, Brahmaputra, Meghna and Jamuna. Out of it, half-a-billion tonnes sediment come only through the Jamuna river.

Source: BSS