Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said Bangladesh will only supply a small volume of water from the Feni River to the Sabroom area of Tripura in India.
"The Feni River is an international river, and both Bangladesh and India have rights on it," she said at a press conference at Ganabhaban on Wednesday.
Briefing the media on her recent visit to New Delhi, she said: "There is a shortage of drinking water in Sabroom. We are giving them a very small volume."
Sheikh Hasina said she did not understand why people were becoming frustrated over the water sharing deal. "It is inhumane to deny water when someone is asking for it."
During the prime minister's recent visit to New Delhi, both countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) allowing India to withdraw 1.82 cusec of water from the river to supply drinking water to people living in Tripura’s Sabroom town.
“We always protect our interest in all fields… the area of the river (Feni) from where India would take water is a catchment area and that belongs to Bangladesh. That is why we signed an MoU with India,” she said.
No worries over Teesta deal and NRC
She said her government has already discussed with India at the Joint River Commission (JRC), the water sharing of the Monu, Mohuri, Khowai, Gomuti, Dharla and Dudhkumar Rivers and steps are being taken to resolve them soon.
“Besides, discussions are ongoing over the water sharing of the Teesta River,” she said.
She said: “Not only Tessta, we are discussing about water sharing of seven other rivers.”
Describing the Assam situation as normal the prime minister said that till now the situation is stable. "We hope that no problems will be created due to the NRC in Assam as there was no problem created as yet.
“I asked Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi about NRC and he assured me that Bangladesh has nothing to worry about it.”
Prime minister Sheikh Hasina at the press conference at Gonobhaban on Wednesday, October 9, 2019 Focus Bangla'Neighbors can use ports and airports'
Further, the prime minister said that no country can be developed alone and several countries of the world use the same port.
“Any country around the world can use any port for their benefit. No country uses a port single handedly and that is reality.
“We always told India, Bhutan and Nepal that they can use Mongla and Chittagong ports when they want. We can earn a large amount of revenue,” she said.
She also said that they (neighbours) can do business easily and it will help Bangladesh, she added.
The neighbours cannot only use the ports, but also the international and domestic airports, she said.
“We have offered the use of the Thakurgaon airport to Bhutan, Nepal and India, many years back," she added.
