KATHMANDU. Apr 3: Politicians, experts, scholars and Journalists from three neighbouring countries of South Asia — India. Bangladesh and Nepal — have emphasised the need for stronger political will and a sustained effort to remove the historical mistrust in achieving greater cooperation among the regional countries. reports BSS.
This identical opinion was expressed on the first day of a two-day conference on "Regional cooperation in harnessing the eastern Himalayan rivers" that began here today.
The conference was told that the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna river system is the second largest in the world, next to the Amazon with 1.3 billion population, but its people are still the poorest of the poor mainly due to lack of feeling to live together.
The participants have also supported the signing of the Gauges Water Sharing Treaty between India and Bangladesh and the Mahakali Treaty between India and Nepal. They termed the two accords as the landmark development in fostering greater regional cooperation.
The conference, which was inaugurated by Nepalese Minister for Water Resources Pradip Nepal is being attended by leading politicians, parliamentarians. experts, scholars and Journalists from the three countries. Dr SA Malek. Political advisor to the Bangladesh Prime Minister, was guest of honour.
Leading participants from India, among others, are Jaipal Reddy, MP. TN Chturvedi. MP. Tara Kanta Jha. former MLA from Bihar. Eric Gonsalves, former foreign secretary. Muchkund Dubey, former foreign secretary. BG Verghese. Ramaswari R Iyer and Kalpana Sharma. The Bangladesh side is being represented, by Fazle Rabbi. MP. Ziaur Rahman Khan. MP. Hasanul Huq Inu. general secretary of the JSD. Prof. Sajedur Rashed of Dhaka University. Prof Muniruzza-man Mian, former vice chancellor of Dhaka University. Khalilur Rahman of the JRC, Syed Habibullah of the BUP and senior Journalists Haroon Habib. Sohrab Hossain and Moroi Nazrul Islam.
Nepal is being represented bv a 52-nicmber delegation which include Dhaman Nath Dhun-gana. former speaker. Jhala Nath Khanal. member, central committee of Communist Party of Nepal (CPN). Rabindra Nath Sharma, former finance minister. Pashupathi Shumsher JB Rana, former minister for water resources. Laxman Prashad Ghimire. former minister for water resources. Hiranyan Lal Shresta, member of the CPN and journalist Rajendra Dahal.
Expressing Bangladesh's total support to the concept of regional and sub-regional cooperation, Dr SA Malek said the countries of the region have a shared vision, and all should make the best use of the huge potentials and opportunities for the welfare of the people.
He pointed out that Sheikh
Hasina's government is actively pursuing a policy of working together with the countries of the Ganges. Brahmaputra and Meghna basins with a view to promoting collaborative development In the region.
The conference will conclude tomorrow with a set of recommendations for harnessing waters of the eastern Himalayan rivers for the welfare of the three countries.
Explaining water policy of the Awami League government, he said it had clearly and unequivocally declared the intention of the government that all necessary measures would be taken to manage the water resources of the country in a comprehensive. integrated and equitable manner.
The tri-nation conference is being held at the joint initiative of the Bangladesh Unnayan Parishad (BUP). Dhaka. Centre for Policy Research (CPR). New Delhi, and the Institute for Integrated Development Studies (IIDS). Kathmandu.
While the experts from three countries showed enormous possibilities of greater cooperation in the water sector, the overall observation made by the participants was that unless the deep-rooted mistrust, that still persists in the region, can be removed, the countries of the region would continue to suffer.
They also advocated for a stronger political will in all three countries and freeing the political arena from the communal vices and religious extremism to restore the much-desired trust.