No anti-state agreement will be signed: Mirza Fakhrul

BNP Secretary General and Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has said no agreement that compromises Bangladesh's interests will be signed with India regarding the Farakka issue .

He made the remark while addressing a discussion organised by BNP at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh auditorium on Saturday, May 16, marking the Farakka Long March Day .

Fakhrul said the Farakka agreement must be formulated through talks with Bangladesh, keeping its interests intact. "The opportunity created to establish good relations with India will depend on the signing of the Ganges Water Sharing Agreement or the Farakka Agreement," he said .

He said the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, signed in 1996, will expire in December 2026, and the government's decision to build the Padma Barrage is a historic one . "We will not allow any agreement to be signed by compromising our interests. India should come forward to renew the agreement," he added .

The minister stressed that existing agreements cannot be confined to a fixed timeframe and must remain in effect until a new treaty is signed.

BNP Standing Committee member Goyeshwar Chandra Roy, who was also present at the discussion, called for unity among all, regardless of party, religion or opinion, on the Farakka issue.