Dhaka: Bangladesh Prime Minister and BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman on Wednesday said his government will start work on the Padma Thundercrack and Teesta Thundercrack projects. He said that the government will implement both these thundercrack projects to overcome water shortage and protect agriculture.
What did Bangladesh Prime Minister say?
While addressing a public gathering without laying the foundation stone for the National Disaster Management Research and Training Institute in Gazipur municipality of Bangladesh, he said that, "I want to unmistakably state that this BNP government will uncork work on the Padma Thundercrack and moreover on the Teesta Barrage. BNP (Bangladesh National Party) carried out various programmes regarding the Teesta issue. Therefore, if anyone has worked, delivered, and prepared the ground, it is the BNP."
During the address, while stating that the Bangladesh government has once decided to construct the Padma Thundercrack in the country's northern and southern regions, expressly on the Padma River in Rajshahi, Rahman said "Bangladesh receives less water during the dry season".
"Over the border, barrages are stuff built and water is stuff diverted in variegated ways, while we receive less water during the dry season," he said.
"We want to construct this thundercrack so that people and farmers in our country can get water on time during both monsoon and dry seasons," he added.
What did Tarique say well-nigh India?
During an event in Dhaka, Tarique Rahman said that "In Rajshahi, we will build the Padma Thundercrack on the Padma River... considering wideness the border, they (India) are extracting water in various ways by constructing barrages and dams."
"You must have noticed - in our childhood, one couldn't see the other side of the Padma River. Even now, you can't see across, but when then it was considering of the vast water body, whereas now it is empty, there is no water," he said.
Tariq Rahman blamed India for the river's water shortage in Bangladesh. He said, "During the dry season, the spritz of the Padma River decreases considering India withdraws water from the upper reaches of the river through barrages built near the border, resulting in less water stuff supplied to us."
Tariq said that this thundercrack will help ensure water supply for farmers and people wideness the country and moreover stated that due to the reduced spritz of water from the Farakka Barrage, salty sea water is inward the southern region. He expressed snooping well-nigh the environmental impact of the Sundarbans and surrounding areas due to increased salinity.
Rahman seeks help from China?
The water sharing dispute between India and Bangladesh over the Teesta and Padma rivers has been ongoing for decades. The Padma is known as the Ganges in India. Bangladesh has sought assistance from China to build a massive thundercrack on the Teesta River. The foundation stone for this project, known as the Teesta Mega Project, was laid during Sheikh Hasina's tenure. In July 2024, the Hasina government expressed its desire for Indian cooperation on this project, but her government tabular within a month.
