OUR CORRESPONDENT, Lalmonirhat

The “Teesta River Protection Movement” has called on the government to start work on the long-awaited ‘Teesta Master Plan’ by November under state funding, ahead of the national election next year.

The platform made the call yesterday during simultaneous processions held in five Teesta basin districts: Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Rangpur, Nilphamari, and Gaibandha.

From the processions, leaders and supporters of the platform submitted memorandums to the respective deputy commissioners in the districts to forward to the chief adviser.

The memorandum stated that the Teesta River is vital for the lives and livelihoods of people in northern Bangladesh. But due to India’s unilateral withdrawal of water, the river has turned into a dying channel. It urged implementation of the Teesta Master Plan to safeguard agriculture, the economy, and the environment of the region.