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PM for cross-country talks on sharing common rivers

UNB, Dhaka
Prime Minister Khaleda Zia yesterday said it would be the best if countries sharing common rivers could sit together with a negotiating attitude for common interest to formulate a timely plan of action to reduce the severity of flood.
"Bangladesh is not the origin of severe floods. So, we do not have all solutions in our hands to reduce the intensity of floods," she told a national workshop on flood.
She said we share 54 rivers that originated in India, China, Nepal and Bhutan.
Inaugurating the three-day workshop on "Options for Flood Risk and Reduction Damage in Bangladesh," the prime minister hoped that participants in the workshop would also put forward recommendations on what types of bilateral, regional and international cooperation are needed in the current perspective.
The workshop was attended by
ministers, public representatives, civil and military officials, experts, professionals, diplomats, and representatives of development partners, NGOs and civil society.
The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) organised the in-depth workshop, first of its kind in the country, at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Center.
Khaleda said the country would have to find out ways to minimise the loss and damage from major floods. Otherwise, she cautioned, the hard earned progress and advancement will be affected again and again, and "we will lag behind"
She said the devastating floods had been occurring frequently in Bangladesh for the last two decades, gradually increasing the magnitude of losses as well as the duration of floods.
She said the reasons behind it include construction of structures and carrying out activities that lead to destruction of ecology and environment, both in and outside the country.
Rise in sea level due to green house effect is another reason that worsens the flood situation, the prime minister said and sought recommendations to devise a working strategy to face the problem.
Three keynote papers were presented at the workshop by Dhaka Wasa Managing Director ANH Akhtar Hossain, Director of Bangladesh Disaster Preparedness Center Muhammad Saidur Rahman and Professor Wahiduddin Mahmud.
Finance and Planning Minister M Saifur Rahman, Food and Disaster Management Minister Chowdhury Kamal Ibne Yusuf and Water Resources Minister Hafizuddin Ahmed also spoke at the inaugural session.
Addressing the inaugural session, the prime minister said since time immemorial, Bangladesh has been known as a flood-prone landmass. Flood is now a reality for the country.
The people, land and nature here draw benefits from normal floods in different ways, she said, but "at times, these turn devastating, causing colossal loss to life and property."
She said flood is a national problem and the workshop has been organised to find out a working strategy at national level to face the problem.
National initiative is necessary to implement the recommendations of the workshop, she said and called upon all irrespective of party and opinion to join the initiative.
Pointing out some internal reasons for the severity of the floods, the prime minister called for suggestions to overcome the problems like unplanned construction of roads and embankments, insufficient drainage system filling up of rivers and water bodies for human settlements and other acts that destroy environment.
She hoped that the experts would come up with recommendations for mid-term and long-term strategies to face the devastating floods.