'Convene special JS session to formulate nat'l policy'

The New York-based committee placed the 17-point recommendation at a press conference in the city yesterday.

S I Khan, a former UN expert, read out the recommendations at the press conference.

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The recommendations were drawn out at a national conference on 'The impact of upstream water diversion from the international rivers: Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna' at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre on January 12.

The IFC organised the seminar to help safeguard Bangladesh's due share in trans-boundary rivers.

As the Indian project to divert water from the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna is of highest public concern, the role Bangladesh government needs to be well defined and action oriented, said the IFC.

It also urged India to revise its policy on the sharing of international rivers in line with the international practices and UN Conventions of 1977.

The IFC said a regional commission like Mekong River Commission and other international bodies comprising all the riparian countries should be formed under the auspices of the UN to frame policies on water sharing of the common rivers.

US Congressmen Joseph Crowley and Gregory Meeks, present at the conference, were also urged to initiate a hearing in the Congress to deter upper riparian India from withdrawing water of 54 international rivers.

IFC Chairman Atiqur Rahman Eusufzai said experts, environmentalists, different organisations and members of the civil society of India itself have raised strong opposition against the river-linking project.

S I Khan said India's proposed water diversion mega-project comprises 30 inter-linking components with 14 in the Himalayan region and 16 in the Peninsular region.

"India has already completed feasibility study of six such inter-linking components," he added.

Nazma Ahmed, an activist of the IFC, said according to international laws, women, affected anyway by the water withdrawal, could go to the International Court of Justice to seek measures against the offender.