Bangladesh News

A meeting between the water resources ministers of Bangladesh and India yesterday failed to reach any consensus on issues relating to the border rivers.

“We discussed different issues at the meeting but nothing was resolved. But with this discussion, the gaps are narrowing,” said Bangladesh Water Resources Minister Hafizuddin Ahmed after the daylong meeting on how to protect erosion by the transborder rivers.

“We are still in the discussion mood…But definitely we will come closure in the next JRC [Joint Rivers Commission] meeting,” he said while talking to journalists at a press conference after the meeting held at Hotel Sonargaon.

His Indian counterpart Saifuddin Soz said, “Since some technical problems are unsolved, we need little a more time.

“We have come to the conclusion that we need some more time to resolve all the issues. Discussions will go on. Matters that we have discussed have been referred to the next JRC meeting,” he added.

However, none of the ministers agreed to elaborate those technical problems.

“We have decided to move forward through discussions and dialogues in a democratic manner and on the principles of equity and justice. I have no doubt that we shall iron out of our differences on issues,” said Soz at the press conference.

“Expert advices are needed to resolve those issues and that’s why we need time. There is no other way to resolve the problems we both countries are facing.”

Soz told reporters, “We are not finally agreed on any situation but we had thorough discussions…and even then we came to agree on something, we couldn’t do it because we have to have a design.”

The two countries will resolve the problems through the JRC, which “will not waste any time” in future, he said.

The water resources ministers of the two neighbouring countries went on a six-day joint visit to the erosion-prone areas on the borders for the first time from September 14 to get first-hand experience of the natural impacts originating from the transborder rivers during the monsoon.