Khaleda conveys Pranab Tipaimukh dam concerns

Sunbdnews24 Dhaka, May 6 Assured by Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee that they are yet to start constructing the Tipaimukh dam on the Barak River, BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia impressed upon him to conduct a 'non-partisan' joint survey of the project.

"It will make the survey trustworthy," BNP leader Shamser Mobin Chowdhury quoted Khaleda as saying while speaking with the visiting Indian minister at her Gulshan office on Sunday.

"Experts from both countries say that the dam project is going to come up in an earthquake-prone area, and disaster could hit Sylhet in Bangladesh in case of an earthquake.

"So, the people of Bangladesh are apprehensive about Tipaimukh dam," she told Mukherjee, Chowdhury said.

The Indian minister said Indians, including those in its Manipur state, were also protesting the project.

Mukherjee said they were yet to start the work for building the dam and that a proposal had already been made to form a sub-committee under the Joint River Commission with its experts to conduct the survey.

"Non-partisan experts should be included in the committee," Khaleda suggested.

The Indian state of Manipur on Oct 22 signed an agreement with state-owned NHPC Ltd and Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd to construct the 1,500MW Tipaimukh hydroelectric power project in the north-eastern state. It was reported on Nov 18 that the controversial dam would come up on the Barak River, which flows into Bangladesh as Surma.

The two leaders also discussed issues like expansion of trade, killing of Bangladeshis by Lindian Border Security Force, Bangladesh's election, enclaves and sharing of water of the river Teesta, the BNP leader said.

On the sharing of Teesta water, Mukherjee said a process to reach national consensus on the issue was underway.

The Indian dignitary also assured Khaleda that India did not want to build relationship with 'any one party', Chowdhury said.

He said Bangladesh's exports would increase as India had given it duty-free access.

Khaleda emphasised boosting communication between the people of the two neighbouring countries to strengthen tie-ups.

"They held the discussions in a cordial atmosphere," he said.

Mukherjee also extended an invitation to the BNP chief to visit India and she requested him to convey her greetings to Indian Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Chowdhury added.