Dhaka: A Bangladesh parliamentary delegation
that visited India to assess the impact of the controversial
Tipaimukh Dam, today said it was "absolutely convinced" by
assurances from New Delhi that the cross-border project will
not harm the country.
"We are absolutely convinced and confident after the
Indian assurance that they will not implement any project that
would harm Bangladesh," Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing
Committee and leader of the 10-member team Abdur Razzak told
reporters here on their return from New Delhi.
"Our visit was cent per cent successful," he said.
However, the controversy that erupted in Bangladesh over
the project may not die down soon as the main opposition BNP,
which stayed away from the team, has said it will not accept
the opinion of the delegation.
Razzak, also a former water resource minister, said the
Indian government told them that any environmental impact
would be felt by India first before Bangladesh could feel its
exposure to any adverse consequence of the project, which
sparked wide concerns in the lower riparian country.
He said India`s External Affairs Minister and Power
Minister reassured the delegation that the project was meant
for a hydroelectric dam alone and not for any irrigation
project requiring withdrawal of waters from the Barak river.
Bureau Report
