'Government failed on Teesta'

The BNP on Tuesday blamed the Awami League-led government for not getting a deal done on the sharing of Teesta waters with India.

"Teesta waters is our right, because it's an international river. India has no right to hinder its water flow and we cannot depend on its mercy," the party's acting Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said at a rally in Gazipur's Kaliyakoir during its long march.

The two-day march towards the Teesta Barrage in Nilphamari started from Dhaka's Uttara area in the morning.

"India has built dams on 54 rivers including the Teesta…India has deprived the 30 million people of northern Bangladesh from it's right to Teesta waters," said the senior BNP leader at the first rally of the many along its long march.

"I ask the government to initiate steps to sign the Teesta water sharing deal. Our programme is a peaceful one, we want to build public opinion for water sharing," he added.

Mirza Fakhrul came down hard on the government saying: "This government has assumed power by snatching people's right to vote."

The long march continued after the rally at Gazipur. The next rallies will be held at Tangail bypass road, Sirajganj district town, Matidhali intersection in Bogra district, Govindaganj and Palashbari in Gaibandha on the first day of the march.
After an overnight halt in Rangpur, they will resume the march the following morning after a rally.

The programme will end with a rally in Nilphamari's Dalia area near the barrage.