BNP organizing secretary and Teesta Nadi Rakkha Andolon chief coordinator Asadul Habib Dulu. Photo: BSS

LALMONIRHAT, Nov 11, 2025 (BSS) - BNP organizing secretary and Teesta Nadi Rakkha Andolon chief coordinator Asadul Habib Dulu today said Teesta master plan must be implemented to save the biodiversity and livelihood of the people.

 “The Teesta River, which is considered as the heart of the north Bengal, is now at stake as its flows have been shrinking,” he said while talking to BSS in an exclusive interview here today.

The arable land and inhabitants alongside the river have been affected by erosion, and biodiversity and life-livelihood of the people are now at risk, said the former deputy minister.  

Replying to a question regarding the protection of the river, Dulu also the principal of a local college said, ‘Once Teesta was the lifeline of the people living on both the banks of the river and they had crops in the field, fish in the pond and cows in the cattle-shed but now the drought has affected the area. 

Over two crore of people of the area have been demanding implementation of Teesta master plan for years for their survival, the BNP leader said. 

“We have been engaging people with the movement and creating awareness among them on this issue,” he said, adding that the people have been struggling for saving Teesta as well as the country.

Replying to a question on the implementation of the master plan when BNP was in the power, the former deputy minister said that the condition of Teesta was not bad at that time. The situation has deteriorated severely with the passes of time, the erosion has taken a serious shape so that the people have been demanding immediate implementation of the master plan, he added.

He said it would be possible to stop the river bank erosion through the implementation of the plan. Agriculture land, houses, educational institutions, mosques and other infrastructures would be protected. The life and livelihood of nearly two crore people would be saved and agriculture, fisheries and economic activities would be revived, Dulu added.

Through the implementation of Teesta master plan, it would be possible to revive the biodiversity, he said, adding that small industries would be set up and tourism facilities would be expanded and thus a new economic emergence would take place centering the Teesta.

Replying to a question regarding external intervention into the project, he said that Bangladesh has been facing serious crisis centering Teesta due to absolute Indian control on its flows and their water management. But the master plan is absolutely an issue of Bangladesh and the Chinese government has already expressed their interest to implement the project, he said, adding that  nearly Taka 12,000 crore is needed to implement the master plan and the project can be implemented if the government takes a decisive decision in this regard.