Dr. Yunus calls for resolving Teesta water-sharing issue

Chief adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus has said the interim government would pursue with India ways to resolve the differences over the long-pending Teesta water sharing treaty, Indian media outlet The Economic Times reported Friday quoting an interview of the chief adviser with PTI, an Indian news agency.

In an interview at his official residence in Dhaka, Dr. Yunus stated that the water-sharing issue between the two countries must be resolved according to international norms.

“If I know how much water I will get, even if I am not happy and sign it, it would be better. This issue has to be resolved,” he said.

According to the ET, in reply to a query on whether the interim government would push for resolving the issues, he told PTI, “Push is a big word; I am not saying it. We will pursue it. But we have to sit together and resolve it.”

Bangladesh and India were set to sign a deal on Teesta water sharing in 2011 but West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee declined to endorse it, citing a scarcity of water in her state.

“This is not a new issue but a very old issue…. The discussions began during the period of Pakistan’s rule,” he said.

Yunus reiterated that lower riparian countries like Bangladesh have specific rights that they seek to uphold.

Earlier, water resources adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan told PTI that Bangladesh would push for restarting the dialogue regarding the Teesta water-sharing treaty with India and asserted that both countries should adhere to international principles regarding water-sharing between upper riparian and lower riparian countries.

Speaking about the flood situation in Bangladesh and reports from Dhaka blaming India for the floods, Yunus said that until the treaty is signed, a humanitarian approach can be adopted to deal with such crises.

“When the High Commissioner (of India) came to meet me, I said that we can work on better management to see how the situation can be controlled during the floods. For such coordination between two countries, we don’t need any treaty.”

“We can work on this together on humanitarian grounds and resolve this, as this will ease the suffering of the masses. Such humanitarian steps would really help,” he said.

Speaking about the border killings, Yunus condemned it and said killing is not a solution to dealing with it.

Dr. Yunus described the reported killings of Bangladeshi citizens at India’s border as “callousness”.

“Killing someone is not a solution, as there are legal ways to deal with this…. No one is crossing the border to capture your country …. This has to stop,” he said, ET reported quoting the PTI interview.

The Border Security Force (BSF) of India has accused Bangladeshi smugglers and infiltrators of crossing over the border and attacking Indian forces when challenged.