Muhith tells Tipaimukh dam confce
Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday urged all to be aware of any movement against the Tipaimukh dam by a certain quarter to gain its political interest.Addressing the National Tipaimukh Dam Conference 2009 at the seminar hall of the Institution of Engineers Bangladesh in the city, he said public opinions could be taken about implementation of the project.
The finance minister also criticised the past BNP-Jamaat government as it did not protest against the Tipaimukh project though India had completed the detailed studies and design of the project and floated an international tender during their rule.
Earlier on June 16, BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain called upon the countrymen to raise their voices against the government as it is mum about the Indian plan to build Tipaimukh dam.
He said the caretaker government had helped advance Tipaimukh dam and Asian Highway projects, and the present government is now trying to help complete them.
"We had been protesting the construction of Tipaimukh Dam for a long time but at that time we did not get them who are now screaming against the project," said Muhith.
He proposed that the problems with international rivers could be solved through joint initiative of Bangladesh, India, Bhutan, Nepal and China.
Speaking at the conference Dr RK Ranjan, an Indian expert and representative of Citizens Concern for Dam and Development in Manipur, said there would be huge losses of fisheries and degradation of environment if the dam is built.
"We will get only 30-40 MW of electricity from the hydroelectric project that would be built by constructing the dam. So why should we put our fish resources and environment at stake for such small amount of electricity," he posed a question.
Dr Ranjan sought the help of the people of Bangladesh to stop the Tipaimukh project.
Communist Party of Bangladesh, General Secretary Mujahidul Islam Selim said the dam will not only bring environmental catastrophe for Bangladesh and Indian state of Manipur but also destroy the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and India.
"India would be responsible if the relationship gets cold," he added.
Presided over by Prof Dr ABM Faruk of Dhaka University, the conference was also addressed by Rashed Khan Menon MP, Fazle Hossain Badsha MP, and Country Director of ActionAid Farah Kabir.