Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Overseas Bangladeshis mount movement: Tipai Dam more disastrous than Farakka

Ehsanul Haque Jasim


Bangladeshis who live in foreign countries are organising strong movement against Tipaimukh dam to be built by India across the river Barak in Monipur state near the border of Zakigonj in Sylhet.

Bangladeshis who live in UK would raise their voice strongly against the dam. They will protest the move under the banners of different organisations including Stop Tipaimukh Dam Campaign Group in UK, Tipaimukh Dam Prevention Committee in UK and Islamic Forum of UK.

Stop Tipaimukh Dam Campaign Group was formed to create public opinion across the world against the dam and conduct movement on the issue.

The group has already sent a delegation with a memorandum to the Bangladesh High Commission in London and wanted to know what is the Bangladesh Government's view on the issue and what it is doing about it.

Bangladeshi professionals in high offices who have influence over politicians, bureaucrats, UN, EU functionaries and shall ask for their support and share knowledge.

The group is also working to contact the Manipur people in India as there is a lot of opposition to this dam in Manipur itself as it will cause them a lot of harm.

Convener of Tipaimukh Dam Prevention Committee ANM Isa has reached Dhaka from UK on June 27 to raise the voice against the issue and to discuss on the matter with cross sections of people in the city and four districts of greater Sylhet.

Isa said that the construction of Tipaimukh dam project has to be resisted to save the country from desertification, as the dam could be more disastrous than Farakka Barrage.

He informed the reporters that the expatriates are ready to assist the people of the country in their fight against Tipaimukh Dam.

Islamic Forum of UK some days ago organised a conference on the issue in London. The members of the organisation are committed to resist the construction of Tipaimukh dam at any cost.

They would contact the British MPs to inform their concerns and ask for their intervention to stop the construction of Tipaimukh dam.

According to reliable source, the expatriates in UK are ready to assist those organisations, which are conducting movement against Tipaimukh in Bangladesh strongly.

It may be mentioned that the proposed Tipaimukh dam is located 500 metres downstream of the confluence of Barak and Tuivai rivers in the southwestern corner of Manipur State of India at the upper reaches of Surma and Kushiara and within 100 km of Zakigonj border of Sylhet.

Source: http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/07/06/news0030.htm

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