48-hour movement along Teesta river continues

Several thousands of people, including local residents and BNP leaders and activists, are continuing their 48-hour sit-in proramme on shoals on Tuesday demanding a fair share of Teesta river water for Bangladesh from India.

Asadul Habib Dulu, chief coordinator of the Teesta River Protection Movement and an organising secretary of the BNP, is leading the movement at 11 locations of Rangpur division's five districts -- Rangpur, Gaibandha, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat and Kurigram -- to protect Teesta river.

The protest began on Monday as part of Teesta River Protection Movement Committee's two-day programme with a slogan "Jago Bahe, Teesta Bachai" (Wake Up, Save the Teesta).

on Tuesday a group of protesters marched on the river shoal in the middle of the Teesta Railway Bridge and the Teesta Road Bridge in Sadar upazila and Kaunia upazila of Rangpur.

Along with the shoal people, BNP leaders and activists, and representatives of various political and social organisations have been participating in the protest.

Various programmes, Palagan, Sarigan and Bhawaiya songs were arranged throughout the night. All the songs were about on Teesta river. Khichuri was distributed among the participants of the movement to save the Teesta River.

Shamsul Alam, 55, a farmer from Char Gokunda area in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila, told The Daily Star that they have joined the programme on Teesta shoal yesterday morning. He slept the night in a tent on the shoal.

BNP's acting chairman Tarique Rahman is expected to virtually exchange views with the people this evening.