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Bangladesh gives river panel meet a miss
Why is it in news?
- Bangladesh has not sent a delegation for the Joint River Commission (JRC) meeting with India that was scheduled to be held in New Delhi on Wednesday.
More in news
- Effect of this development: This has cast a shadow over the agreement to share the waters of the Feni river that was taken up during the October visit of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to India.
- Series of cancellations: This is the third cancellation of engagement by Dhaka after Foreign Minister A.K. Abul Momin and Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan called off their visits to New Delhi and Meghalaya last week.
- Reason behind cancellations: The cancellations indicated Dhaka’s displeasure over repeated reference by India’s political leadership to the alleged persecution of religious minorities in Bangladesh.
- More about Joint River Commission (JRC)
(1) A Joint Statement issued after Ms. Hasina’s October meeting with PM Narendra Modi had laid down the agenda of the JRC.
(2) Declaration in the statement: It was declared that the Technical Level Committee of the JRC was to firm up the draft framework agreement of the interim sharing of the Feni river's waters with Tripura.
(3) Bangladesh had agreed to let India withdraw 1.82 cusecs from the river to supply the border town of Sabroom in the north-eastern State.
(4) The JRC came into existence as a result of the Indo-Bangladesh Treaty of Friendship, 1972
(5) It is among the oldest bilateral mechanisms of India that helps in harnessing the waters of the rivers that both countries share.
(6) India and Bangladesh share at least 54 rivers and the JRC is crucial to avoid any disputes arising out of these common water resources.
Source
The Hindu