Former vice chancellor of Dhaka University Prof Emajuddin Ahmed has said the parliamentary delegation should have closely visited the site of Tipaimukh Dam as it involves the interest of the country.
"They should have visited the site properly as it is a national issue and the interest 15 crore people are involved in it. They could have stay there one week more to visit the site closely," he said at a roundtable as chief guest in the city yesterday.
The roundtable titled 'Tipaimukh dam: Disaster in agriculture' was organised by Krishibid Forum at the National Press Club.
Prof Emajuddin said the team could choose alternative roads or walk for a few miles to have a proper look at the site as they were people's representatives.
Terming the planned dam a 'terrific disaster' for Bangladesh, Prof Emajuddin, also a political scientist, said, “India is a big country. It has capital and technology. For producing only 1500 MW electricity such attempt that would cause a heavy loss for its neighbouring country is very dangerous.”
He stressed the need for massive publicity of the facts about the short and long-term consequences of the dam on Bangladesh to create awareness among people.
Prof Emajuddin said a joint survey comprising water experts should be conducted to find out its disastrous effects on Bangladesh if the dam is constructed.
Speakers at the discussion feared that the ecological balance of the northeast part of the country would be badly affected if the dam is built at Tipaimukh.
They said the under ground water level would fall further and the total agriculture of the area would face a serious threat as a consequence of the dam
AHM Hamidur Rahman Azad, a member of the parliamentary standing committee on water resources ministry, Prof Abdur Rob, Prof Mahbub-e-Elahi, Agriculturists Abdul Mannan and Md Fazlul Haq also spoke at the discussion with Prof Md Mostafizur Rahman in the chair.