In the wake of devastating floods that have claimed at least 15 lives and affected over 4.8 million people in Bangladesh, the country’s interim government has called on India to provide advance notice before releasing water from any shared rivers. Syeda Rizwana Hasan, the interim government’s adviser on environment, forest, and climate change, emphasized the importance of this communication to prevent future man-made disasters.
“We will send the message to India through our ministry of foreign affairs,” Hasan stated during her visit to flood-affected regions in Habiganj district on Friday. Bangladesh and India share 54 rivers, and the release of water from these rivers has long been a sensitive issue between the two nations.
Interim government chief adviser Muhammad Yunus also proposed the development of a high-level mechanism between Bangladesh and India to jointly address emergency situations like floods. This proposal was shared during a meeting with Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma on Thursday.
The floods have hit several districts particularly hard, including Feni, Chattogram, Cumilla, Noakhali, Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Brahmanbaria, Lakshmipur, Khagrachari, and Cox’s Bazar. Disaster Management and Relief Secretary Md Kamrul Hasan confirmed that the situation has become severe in these areas, with four casualties reported in Cumilla and three in Cox’s Bazar. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue and relief operations continue.
In a show of solidarity, the Hindu community in Bangladesh has decided to reduce their Janmashtami festival expenses and donate the savings to flood relief efforts. Both the Mahanagar Sarvajanin Puja Committee and the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad have established a central relief fund to support those affected by the floods.
As Bangladesh struggles with the aftermath of these catastrophic floods, the importance of cross-border cooperation in managing shared water resources has become increasingly clear, with hopes that better communication with India can help prevent future tragedies.
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