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Journalism of Courage
India today assured Bangladesh that Himalayan streams would be excluded from its river-linking project. Dhaka had raised concerns over the issue during the two-day joint river commission talks which ended here on Tuesday. ‘‘I categorically assure you that the Himalayan rivers will not be included in the river-linking project,’’ Water Resources Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi said.
‘‘I don’t presume or assume any such possibility in the distant future,’’ he told reporters.
Dasmunshi said that ‘‘even if the project affects any of the Himalayan rivers because of any link, the first cry will start from Bihar and West Bengal’’.
Bangladesh Water Resources Minister Hafizuddin Ahmed said he was quite satisfied with the two-day talks.‘‘The talks were held amid a spirit of cooperation.’’
However, the crucial sharing of the waters of the Teesta river remained unresolved and was referred to a joint experts committee who are to report back to the Commission, officials said, adding that some tangible progress was made on other issues like flood warning timing.
The two ministers said they would ‘‘soon’’ visit together vulnerable sides of bordering rivers to observe the erosion and water scarcity situations there.
Harassment of envoy’s spouse condemned
DHAKA: Civil society activists in Bangladesh today strongly condemned the alleged harassment of Rupa Chakravarty, the wife of Indian deputy High Commissioner Sarvajit Chakravarty, and the ‘‘lack of action’’ by police in the case.
‘‘We have no words to condemn such appalling behaviour towards a foreign guest,’’ a statement signed by several eminent Bangladeshis said. ‘‘We are very surprised and astonished at the lack of action on the part of the law enforcers after the incident,’’ it added. Mrs Chakravarty was allegedly maltreated and her driver Vinod Kumar roughed up by the security guards of a business tycoon here.
