Panchagarh: Riverbank-protection works in the frontier district have been stalled at Indian Border Security Force (BSF) intervention, creating concern among the people ahead of rainy season as onrush of hill waters during monsoon flood vast areas in Bangladesh.   

Residents of the northern-most district apprehended that embankment works on a stretch of 630 metres on the Karotoa River at Bodaparai and 306 metres along the Nagar River at Barshalupara cannot be completed before the oncoming monsoon if the dispute is not resolved immediately.

The second-phase works on around 845 metres under BDR BOP and border patrol defence project and 829 metres under River Protection Project started in April. But, at one stage, the works were stopped because of BSF obstruction later in the month.

A secretary-level meeting between Bangladesh and India in Dhaka and a technical-level one of the Joint River Commission in Kolkata held in January last decided to help complete the unfinished works of the project within the current year while the river-protection works within two years, said Rabindra Chandra Shom, sub-divisional engineer at the district office of the Water Development Board (WDB).

“Works started on BSF permission after a flag meeting between the two border forces. But, recently, BSF halted the works on the plea of not getting any copy of the JRC-meeting decision,” he said.  

Nawshad Ali, executive engineer of Panchagarh WDB, said talks are being held at the high levels of the two countries to resolve the stalemate.

BDST: 11:00 am, 26 April 2010

D.corr/BK/MMK/MRH/LY/MUA