A legal notice has been issued demanding the immediate cessation of water supply from Bangladesh’s Feni River to India’s Tripura state, citing the absence of an official agreement.
The notice, sent by Bangladesh Supreme Court lawyer Md Mahmudul Hasan, was directed to the secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources, the secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the members of the Joint River Commission.
The notice highlights a 2019 memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the governments of Bangladesh and India, which stipulates that India is permitted to extract 1.82 cusecs of water from Bangladesh’s Feni River for supplying water to Subroom city in Tripura.
However, the notice asserts that this MoU is not an official agreement and is not in line with the constitutional requirements of Bangladesh. According to Articles 145 and 145A of the Constitution, any agreement with a foreign state must be submitted to the President and presented in a parliamentary session.
The notice further argues that the MoU’s lack of reciprocity is a violation of Bangladesh’s constitutional rights, as no benefits are being provided in return for the water supply to India.
The document also expresses concern over the fact that India has been granted permission to extract water using its own pumps, which the notice claims infringes upon Bangladesh’s sovereignty.
Reports suggest that while the MoU allows for the extraction of 1.82 cusecs, India is actually extracting a significantly higher volume of water, contributing to severe environmental risks for the Feni River.
The notice also criticizes the previous Awami League government for permitting the water supply without an official agreement, violating the country’s constitutional provisions.
It emphasizes that the supply of water to Tripura should be stopped immediately unless an official agreement is reached, and all Indian water pumps should be removed from the Feni River.
The legal notice demands that these actions be taken within 15 days, with the possibility of filing a writ petition in the High Court if the issue is not addressed.
