Local Government Minister and BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir has described the Farakka Barrage as a death trap, saying it continues to operate and harm Bangladesh. In a statement issued on Friday marking the 16 May ‘Historic Farakka Day,’ he recalled the 1976 long march led by Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, when thousands protested to demand Bangladesh’s fair share of Ganges water under international law.

Fakhrul said India began unilaterally withdrawing water from the Ganges after constructing the barrage at Farakka, turning Bangladesh’s northwestern region into near desert conditions and causing severe ecological imbalance. He accused the then Awami League government of allowing India to operate the barrage despite public opposition, which he said deprived Bangladeshis of their rightful water share.

He added that India’s continued construction of dams on 54 shared rivers without regard for international conventions poses a grave threat to Bangladesh’s existence. Fakhrul expressed hope for the success of all programs organized to mark Farakka Day.