In today's world, there are no permanent enemies or permanent allies. Instead, the relationship between countries should be founded on mutual interests, fairness, and necessity.

— Tarique Rahman, acting chairman, BNP

Tens of thousands of people converged on dried-up riverbeds of the Teesta as a 48-hour demonstration demanding a fair share of water from India and implementation of a government master plan to save the river continued yesterday.

While the BNP was a prominent driving force behind the gathering, people of all political stripes from across the river basin joined the programme, many camping on the dried-up riverbed.

The "Jaago Bahe Teesta Bachao" (Wake Up, Save Teesta) protest, beginning on Monday morning, was organised by the Teesta River Protection Movement Committee simultaneously at 11 points in Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Nilphamari and Gaibandha.

BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman virtually addressed the gatherings from London, emphasising that the just share of Teesta water is a legitimate right under international law, not an act of charity, generosity, or goodwill.

He said the water rights of the Teesta and 54 other common rivers must be ensured to protect the livelihoods of millions in northern Bangladesh. But the neighbouring country has been behaving "unneighbourly" towards Bangladesh.

Tarique said that several significant issues with India are still unresolved.

"Basic equity has not been upheld in these agreements [with India]. The people of Bangladesh believe that all unequal, unjust, and unilateral agreements with neighbouring countries should be reviewed and reassessed, if necessary.

"In today's world, there are no permanent enemies or permanent allies. Instead, the relationship between countries should be founded on mutual interests, fairness, and necessity," he added.

The BNP leader said it is a must to implement the Teesta Master Plan to prevent Bangladesh's northern region from becoming a desert.

The Teesta Master Plan includes dredging the riverbed, constructing embankments, and establishing sustainable water management practices.

The venue near Teesta Rail Bridge point in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila stretched nearly four kilometres to Kaunia in Rangpur. It hosted the largest gathering with approximately 75,000 participants, according to the organisers. The second-largest gathering of around 55,000 people was reported in the Teesta Barrage area of Hatibandha upazila, while Mahipur in Rangpur's Gangachhara upazila saw a turnout of around 45,000 participants.

Tens of thousands of people gathered on the banks of the Teesta in Lalmonirhat’s Sadar upazila yesterday to participate in the second day of the 48-hour programme demanding a fair share of the river’s water. BNP acting chairman Tarique Rahman virtually addressed the mammoth rally. PHOTO COURTESY: BNP

The events featured rallies, cultural performances, and traditional sports activities.

In Kaunia, our correspondent witnessed thousands of protesters holding banners and placards with messages like "Teesta River is Our Mother, We Won't Let It Die".

The Teesta, which flows 115 kilometres through Bangladesh, has been significantly affected by upstream interventions in India. Hydropower projects and irrigation diversions have reduced water availability in Teesta during the dry seasons, while flash floods occur in monsoons due to the sudden discharge of water from India.

The Teesta crisis has severely impacted agriculture in the region. The river's natural dry-season flow is expected to be 5,000 cusecs, but it often drops to just 400 cusecs, according to the Bangladesh Water Development Board. This water scarcity extensively disrupts crop production.

Among the attendees was 70-year-old Sudhangshu Barman from Rajpur village in Lalmonirhat. Having lost 26 bighas of his ancestral land to Teesta's erosion over the past two decades, he now lives on someone else's property. "The Teesta took everything from me. I joined this movement so that others don't suffer the same fate," he said.

Farmer Meher Ali from Kurigram lamented the loss of nine bighas of his 12-bigha farmland to erosion. "With just three bighas left, we struggle to survive. If the master plan is implemented, many of our lands could be restored," he said.

Crops like maize, chilli, pumpkin, wheat, and jute, once abundant in the fertile Teesta basin, now suffer from inadequate irrigation.

The protesters, many of whom waded knee-deep into the cold waters of the Teesta, remain hopeful. "We don't understand treaties and technicalities," said farmer Mofizul Islam from Char Ishli. "We just need water to grow our crops and secure our lives and livelihoods."

Local fishers share similar grievances. "The river is drying up, and so is the fish population," said Ajaharul Islam, a fisherman from Rangpur's Kaunia upazila. "We can no longer sustain our families from fishing alone."

Around 11:00am, the demonstrators marched from the Teesta Bridge point of the Rangpur-Kurigram highway.  After the rallies in the afternoon, the protesters joined a sit-in in the evening, carrying torches. Cultural functions and movie-screening were also held.

Tarique joined the programme again at that time, promising that the BNP will implement the Teesta Mega Plan if it gets the people's mandate.

As the programme was nearing its end, the organisers vowed to continue their struggle until concrete measures were taken to address the Teesta crisis.

Professor Dr Tuhin Wadud, Director of Riverine People and a faculty at Begum Rokeya University, said the environmental toll from unregulated Teesta water flow was huge. "It causes silt to accumulate, reducing the river's water-holding capacity. Without proper management of Teesta, floods will continue to ravage the communities of the Teesta basin," he warned.

Legal expert Palash Kanti Nag said, "Joint river basin management with India and international cooperation are essential for a long-term solution. Bangladesh must assert its water rights through diplomatic channels and global environmental forums."

At the launch of the programme on Monday, BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said India must resolve the Teesta issue, stop border killings and abandon its "big brother" attitude if it wants to be friends with the people of Bangladesh.

He accused the previous Awami League government of failing to secure Bangladesh's water rights. "In 15 years, they have sold Bangladesh, but they couldn't bring a drop of water," he said.