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1994-05-02
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<text>
<title>
Summary of Opening Day's Meeting
</title>
<article>
<hdr>
Joint Publications Research Service, June 19, 1991
Paper Reports Water Sharing Talks with India: Opening Day's
Meeting
</hdr>
<body>
<p>[Dhaka, The Bangladesh Observer in English, 24 Apr 91, pp 1, 8]
</p>
<p> Bangladesh and India on Tuesday began a two-day meeting to
discuss the complex water sharing issue between the two
countries, reports BSS.
</p>
<p> The secretary-level meeting devoted itself to discussing the
problems of major common rivers with a view to reaching an
understanding as far as possible on the vital issues like the
sharing of the waters of the Ganges, it was learnt.
</p>
<p> Mr. M.A. Malik, Secretary Ministry of Irrigation, Flood
Control and Water Resources, has been leading the six-member
Bangladesh side to the talks while Indian Water Resources
Secretary Dr. M.A. Chatal is the leader of his country's
delegation.
</p>
<p> The talks were mainly focused on the Ganges, Teesta and the
Brahmaputra rivers while other common rivers also came up for
discussion, officials said.
</p>
<p> The leader of the Bangladesh delegation said talks were held
in a friendly atmosphere and the two sides would make the
position known after the conclusion of the meeting today
(Wednesday).
</p>
<p> Discussions are taking place in a friendly atmosphere said
the leader of the Indian delegation when approached by newsmen
for his comment.
</p>
<p> Asked whether the talks were making any progress, Dr.
Chitale described the discussions as lively.
</p>
<p> When pressed if he was satisfied with the first day's
deliberations, a smiling Dr. Chitale observed that you can make
out from my faces. [sentence as published]
</p>
<p> The talks began at 11 a.m. and continued till 6:30 p.m.,
beyond schedule with a lunch break.
</p>
<p> The Indian team included High Commissioner in Bangladesh, K.
Srinavasen and Commissioner in the Water Resources Ministry Mr.
Ramesh Chandra.
</p>
<p> Earlier, Agriculture and Irrigation, Water Development and
Flood Control Minister Majid-ul-Haq said that the
misunderstanding on sharing of the Ganges water would come to an
end soon, an official handout said.
</p>
<p> He was talking with the visiting Indian Secretary for Water
Resources Dr. M.A. Chitale who called on him at this office.
</p>
<p> Bangladesh High Commissioner in India Mr. Farooq Ahmed
Chowdhury and Indian High Commissioner in Bangladesh Mr. K.
Srinibasan were present on the occasion.
</p>
<p> Mr. Majid-ul-Huq said that a historic agreement on sharing of
the Ganges water was signed in 1977. But after 1982, India
changed her stand on water resources and no agreement was
signed during the last nine years of autocratic rule. He
expressed his optimism that a happy beginning might be started
from the Indian side on distribution of water of all the rivers
common to both the countries as a democratic government has been
voted to power in Bangladesh which was absent during the last
nine years.
</p>
<p> The Minister said that after extreme shortage of water for a
number of consecutive years the people of Bangladesh were
eagerly looking towards the secretary level meeting for the
solution of this problem.
</p>
<p> The Agriculture Minister said that the development of
Bangladesh and India are closely related as the economy of both
the countries are mostly agriculture based. He laid stress on
regional cooperation for development of both the countries and
said that the fate of about one hundred crore people would
depend on successful implementation of the projects for
regional cooperation.
</p>
<p> The Indian Secretary for Water Resources in rely expressed
his sincere intent for a fruitful and durable solution on
sharing of water of the common rivers. He hoped that the
leaders of both countries would be able to find out a pragmatic
solution of the problem.
</p>
<p> Commenting on news-item that the water level under the
hardinge bridge at Pakshi had come to the minimum of all times
the Indian Water Resources Secretary said that the Indian
government would always invite observers to see the real
situation of Farakka.
</p>
<p> India does not want to create an information gap on this
issue.
</p>
<p> He said that the visit of the observers and the experts of
both the countries would help ending misunderstanding among the
people in the issue and ultimately strengthen the mutual
understanding and friendship between the two countries, the
handout said.
</p>
</body>
</article>
</text>