Bangladesh will negotiate with India to ensure its fair share of water, but will not make any concessions on the issue, Foreign Affairs State Minister Humayun Kabir has said.
He made the remarks while delivering the keynote paper at a seminar titled “Rethinking the Future of Water: Youth Leadership, Justice and Cooperation” in Dhaka on Thursday (October 8).
Kabir said Bangladesh will form a committee to work toward renewing water-sharing agreements and hopes to begin dialogue with India soon. Recent reports also said Bangladesh has already formed a committee and requested the names of representatives from the Indian side to begin discussions.
He said Bangladesh has international law on its side in pursuing its water rights, while public support and aspirations also strengthen the country’s position at the negotiating table.
Kabir also said Bangladesh would not return to what he described as the “dark era” of the past 15 years.
