Draft
NATIONAL TIPAIMUKH DAM CONFERENCE ntdc2009 19 June,Friday,2009. 09.30 A.M. to 05.30 P.M. Venue: Seminar Room, Institution of Engineers,Bangladesh (IEB) Headquarters, Ramna, Dhaka. WRAP UP REPORT The inaugural session was held in an atmosphere of determination and jubilation.It was attended by more than 400 water rights activists from around the country. Hon'ble Minister of Finance, Government of Bangladesh, Mr. AMA Muhith graced the occasionOB, as the Chief Guest. Mr.Rashed Khan Menon Member of Parliament and President, Bangladesher Workers Party, Mr.Mujahidul Islam Selim,General Secretary, Communist Party of Bangladesh , Dr. R.K.Ranjan from CCDD, Manipur, India,Mr. Fazle Hossain Badsha, Member of Parliament, Mohammad Afzal, President of Gonotontri Party, Farah Kabir,Country Director,Action Aid Bangladesh made deliberations in the capacity of Special Guests in the inaugural session. Professor ABM Farouk presided over the session. Engineer Muhammad Hilaluddin, Chief Director, Angikar Bangladesh Foundation, made the inaugural power point presentation and moderated the session. The Chief Guest in his speech categorally spoke about the possible adverse impact of the Tipaimukh dam and suggested for seizing the opportunity of engaging into discussion with India and raise the necessary points. Mr. Muhith discouraged the method of leading hate campaign and express extreme words in this regard. He stressed the need for getting all the pertinent data and information from the Indian authorities. Mr. Muhith stressed the need for joint initiativeof the countries belonging to GBM basin. All other speakers said sraightwordedly ' NO TO TIPAIMUKH DAM' and resolved to generate an intensified, strong and united movement of the people of both Bangladesh and India against the dam. The 2nd and concluding session of the ntdc2009 was chaired by a veteran educationist of the country, Professor Riazul Islam which was addressed by Khalequzzaman, Convenor, Bangladesher Somajtantric Dal BSD, Mostofa Kamal Mojumdar, Editor, the New Nation, Muniruzzaman, Senior Assistant Editor, Daily Sangbad, Ramananda from Manipur, Mohsin Ali, Coordinator, Governance Advocacy Forum, Ratan Sarkar, Executive Director, INCIDIN, Advocate Moinuddin Jalal ,Chief Coordinator, Angikar Bangladesh, Sylhet Division. Dr.M.A. Matin, General Secretary, Bangladesh Poribesh Andolon, BAPA guided the session towards achieving the strategic and tactical targets of the anti-Tipaimukh Dam movement. Decisions and resolutions of ntdc2009: 1. The delegates of ntdc2009 after thorough and careful analysis of the latest situation and developments centering around the Tipaimukh Multipurpose Hydroelectric Project TMHP since the sudden visit of Secretary, External Affairs of India to Bangladesh in April, 2009 and his related statements, opine that the Indian proposal for a visit of Bangladesh Parliamentary delegation to the Tipaimukh Dam project-site does not seem to be of any meaningful exercise as there is no sign of construcion as yet on the site. The delegation will just be enjoying the scenic beauty of the dam location which will ultimately be submerged after the construction. 2. The Indian relevant authorities finalized their design of the TMHP basing upon data and information of the 277 km stretch (existing within the Indian boundary) of the Barak-Meghna riversystem and they just ignored and overlooked science in not considering the impact at the 669 km stretch of the downstream of the same riversystem flowing across Bangladesh. India never consulted with Bangladesh or send any relevant data and information to Bangladesh regarding the design of TMHP. The ntdc2009 considers it of paramount importance to make all the data and information regarding theTMHP open and available to the people and government of Bangladesh by the Indian authorities immediately. The ntdc2009 demands immediate andadequate steps from the Bangladesh authorities in the assessment of the downstream impact of the THMP within Bangladesh. 3.The participants of the ntdc2009 express the firm expectation to the 9th National Parliament of Bangladesh that it will adopt an unanimous resolution demanding the immediate scrapping of the THMP. Any official delegation from Bangladesh, if sent to India, will have discussion only upon the unanimous resolution of the parliament. 4.The participants of the ntdc2009 express the firm expectation to the 9th National Parliament of Bangladesh that it will adopt an unanimous resolution demanding the immediate stoppage and scrapping of all the intervening projects on the Brahmaputra at the upstream in PR China and India. 5. The ntdc2009 calls upon the people and political forces of the country to forge a strong national unity on the Tipaimukh Dam issue and avoid all sorts of tricky and sectarian games in the overall survival question of the riverine civilization of Bangladesh. 6. The ntdc2009 calls upon the SAARC countries to accomplish the South Asia Riparian Union Agreement in line with the SAARC 2005 declaration. The ntdc2009 also proposes to form South Asia Water Tribunal in order to resolve any relevant dispute. 7. The ntdc2009 makes a clarion call to the countries of South Asia, PR China and Myanmer(Burma) to unite in order to ensure safe drinking and irrigation water for all through ecology-friendly steps protecting the bio-diversity of the region. 8. The ntdc2009 calls upon especially the water rights activists, dam-warriors and save the rivers-campaigners of Bangladesh and North East India to rejuvenate their bond of unity and go for renewed united activities and simultaneous events, revamp the courses of peoples movements in order to protect and develop the prescious natural resources and cause defeat to the pro dam syndicate in our part of the world. This conference resolves to take recourse to steps of peoples movement in order to compel the Indian authorities to scrap the THMP. All our efforts will be to crush the nefarious nexus of the international financial investors, iron-cement-turbine manufacturers, dam building contractors , water burocrats and the politicians, the participants of the ntdc2009 resolves. 9. The ntdc2009 decides to form the National Tipaimukh Dam Resistance Committee NTDRC encompassing all the forces and individuals of the country supporting pro-ecological approaches in dealing with water,nature and river. The conference also decides to form International Campaign against Tipaimukh Dam ICTD immediately. Formation of NTDRC The participants of the ntdc2009, at the proposal of Dr. M.A. Matin, General Secretary, BAPA, decided to form the National Tipaimukh Dam Resistance Commitee NTDRC with Engineer Muhammad Hilaluddin as the Coordinator. The house agreed to select a nationally reputed personality to head the NTDRC at the soonest possible. Angikar Bangladesh office will act as the secretariat of NTDRC, the conference decided. Objectives of ntdc2009 The following objectives were announced from the preparatory committee earlier: The ntdc2009 will look into the latest update about the construction of the monstrous Tipaimukh Dam in the upstream of Bangladesh; will go into deeper discussions on the catastrophic impact of the mega dam upon the inhabitants and civilization of Bangladesh and India along the Barak-Surma-Kushiara-Meghna basin; will chart the future courses of action in terms of peoples interest; will forge a national alliance of organizations and individuals for furthering and strengthening the peoples resistance against the dam; will create bond especially with the friends and activists working in South Asia in general and India in particular; will formulate Draft National Position Paper on the contentious Tipaimukh Dam to be submitted to Bangladesh Government for its facilitation in manouvering discourses at appropriate levels and places. In our wrap-up report, it can be concluded that the above objectives have been fulfilled more or less. The participants got impetus and across the districts, the district resistance committees are being formed. The print and electronic media carried the news with utter importance. -- Angikar Bangladesh Foundation, Sunibir, 25 West Nakhalpara, Tejgaon, Dhaka 1215, Bangladesh. 01711806054(cell ). [email protected],[email protected] Development in harmony with and respect of nature. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
