Bangladesh opposition leader warns against Indian transit corridor
National Citizen Party convener Nahid Islam called for a fair Ganges water-sharing agreement ahead of the treaty's December expiry.
National Citizen Party (NCP) convener Nahid Islam warned against moves to facilitate an Indian transit corridor through Bangladesh during a rally in Dhaka on Friday, according to reports from The Hindu and local media.
Islam accused Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's government of attempting to hand over an illegal corridor to India. He stated that the people of Bangladesh would not accept such a corridor.
The rally, attended by hundreds of supporters, was also organised to demand the resignation of Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed and Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku over alleged failures regarding law and order and utility shortages.
Islam also threatened fresh protests if the Ganges water-sharing agreement is not renewed on terms that protect Bangladesh's share of the river's waters. The treaty is set to expire on December 12.
Manjur A. Chowdhury, chairman of the Bangladesh River Conservation Commission, told The Hindu that the three-decade-old treaty is flawed because it lacks a guarantee clause and ecological flow considerations.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said on Friday that no third-country issues were discussed during Prime Minister Rahman's recent visit to Japan, according to the Dhaka Tribune.