Water issue should be guided by national interest: Titumir

Prime Minister’s Adviser on Finance and Planning Prof Dr Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir on Sunday said that the issues surrounding transboundary water sharing are technical, but their solutions must ultimately be political and guided by Bangladesh's national interest.

"The issues are technical, but the solutions must ultimately be political and guided by our national interest," he said while speaking as the chief guest at a national seminar titled "Transboundary Water Sharing Issues and Padma Barrage" at North South University (NSU), said a press release.

The seminar was jointly organised by the South Asian Institute of Policy and Governance (SIPG) and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) of NSU.

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Policymakers, water experts, engineers, diplomats, academics and civil society representatives participated in the seminar, which focused on Bangladesh's water security, the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, the Teesta issue and the proposed Padma Barrage.

Titumir said Bangladesh needs long-term planning, political commitment and scientific management to address both the abundance of water during the monsoon and scarcity during the dry season.

Referring to the ecological importance of rivers, he said, "A river should not be understood merely by its number, but by its ecosystem and the wider impacts it creates."

He said the proposed Padma Barrage should not be viewed merely as an engineering project, as it is closely linked with agriculture, livelihoods and the future development of western and southwestern Bangladesh.

Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change Affairs Dr Md Saimum Parvez attended the seminar as the special guest.

Highlighting the government's environmental priorities, including tree plantation, canal excavation, waste-to-wealth initiatives and renewable energy, he said efficient water use and regional power trade could create pathways to mitigate transboundary water disputes.

"Water-sharing challenges need to be understood through both river-basin dynamics and their economic implications," he added.

Former Member of the Joint Rivers Commission Dr Mohammad Abul Hossen presented the keynote paper, focusing on river-basin management, hydro-economic modelling, benefit sharing, efficient water use and regional power trade as possible avenues for reducing transboundary water disputes.

Ambassador Mohammad Sufiur Rahman, Senior Research Fellow at SIPG, NSU, made a presentation on policy and diplomacy.

He stressed the need to build synergy with relevant Indian stakeholders and restore natural river flows through fair and cooperative water-sharing arrangements.

"Water should be treated as a shared resource, not as a commercial commodity," he said.

He added that equity, fairness and the principle of causing no harm to either party should remain at the heart of water-sharing negotiations.

Former Secretary of the Government Engr ANH Akhter Hossain and Dr Md Ataur Rahman, Professor of Water Resources Engineering at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), took part in the discussion.

The discussants called for a stronger national framework integrating engineering expertise, environmental protection, legal preparedness, basin-level planning and water diplomacy.

Professor Shafik Islam of Tufts University described the issue as "engineering diplomacy, where rigor meets reality", saying the treaty was only "the tip of the iceberg" and that understanding the underlying patterns, structures and mental models was essential.

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The session was chaired by NSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Abdul Hannan Chowdhury.

"When the glass remains empty in downstream water sharing, we must find scientific and engineering solutions to manage our own water resources," he said, stressing that Bangladesh's water resources must be managed for national benefit while ensuring sustainable living.

Professor Md Sirajul Islam, PhD, of CEE, NSU, said water-resource planning in Bangladesh must take into account seasonal changes in rivers, sedimentation, transparency and expert opinion before undertaking major interventions.

In his concluding remarks and vote of thanks, SIPG Director Professor Sk Tawfique M Haque urged policymakers to prepare for multiple negotiation scenarios.

"We need greater cohesion and civility in South Asia, in all kinds of negotiation," he said, adding that policymakers must be prepared with Plans A, B and C and should not take treaty renewal for granted.

The seminar concluded with a call for greater national preparedness, evidence-based water diplomacy, regional dialogue, technically sound river management and coordinated policy action to safeguard Bangladesh's water security, ecological balance and sustainable development.