Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter spoke at a discussion meeting to mark the 49th anniversary of historic Farakka Long March at Rajshahi College auditorium today. Photo : PID

RAJSHAHI, May 16, 2025 (BSS) - Fisheries and Livestock Adviser Farida Akhter said, "We want due share of Ganges water but not favour from anyone.”

“We have natural and ancestral rights to Ganges water and none can snatch it,” she said while speaking as chief guest at a discussion meeting to mark the 49th anniversary of historic Farakka Long March at Rajshahi College auditorium here today.

Adviser Farida Akhter said around four crore people of the country are being affected badly due to the Farakka Barrage.  “India has been snatching our water rights for a long time and destroying our biodiversity and ecosystem,” she added. 

Due to the deadly barrage, she said salinity is being intruded through the Gorai river in the country's southwest region causing destruction to fish diversity along with extinction of many of the fish species.

At least 41 fish species are now critically endangered in the basin of Noboganga River. 

Farida Akhter also said: "Once upon a time, Hilsa fish of the Padma River was our national resource but due to the barrage of the Farakka River, the tradition is now extinct".

The adviser said rights of the Ganges water is very important for survival of wildlife, birds, trees, plants and humans and snatching the legitimate rights is a big offense.

She urged the youth forces to become active in protecting biodiversity and ecosystem through facing the existing challenges.

With Convener the long march observance committee Mahbub Siddiqui in the chair, the meeting was addressed, among others, by Vice-chancellor of Rajshahi University Prof Saleh Hassan Naquib, Administrator of Dhaka North City Corporation Muhammad Ejaj, Director General of Press Institute of Bangladesh Faruque Wasif and Principal of Rajshahi College Prof Jahur Ali.

Registrar of Rajshahi University Prof Iftekhr Alam Masud presented the keynote paper depicting a detrimental impact of the Farakka Barrage.