The Feni River is a trans-boundary river located in Bangladesh, and the water rights have been a source of dispute between India and Bangladesh. It originates in the South Tripura district and flows through Sabroom town, entering Bangladesh. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Bangladesh and India, allowing India to withdraw 1.82 cubic feet per second (cu sec) of water (equal to 51.4 litres per second) from the Feni River. [1] [2] These two countries have signed seven bilateral documents concerning the water disputes. [3]
Bangladesh and India have signed seven bilateral documents to strengthen relations between the respective countries. The agreement was signed between the Ministry of Water Resources of Bangladesh and Ministry of Jal Shakti, India, in New Delhi. The purpose of this accord is to provide a supply of drinking water to the Sabroom Town of Tripura. [4]
The two PMs directed a technical committee of the Joint Rivers Commission to expeditiously exchange updated data and information and prepare a draft framework for interim sharing agreements for the six rivers, namely Manu, Muhuri, Khowai, Gumti, Dharla and Dudhkumar. The committee was also directed to firm-up the draft framework of the Feni River's interim sharing agreement. [5]
Before this agreement, India had been alleged to have illegally withdrew water from the Feni River. India set 36 low-lifting pumps in No man's land between Shilachori to Amlighat of south Tripura. BGB of Bangladesh warned India to remove the pumps, but they did not oblige. By building the pump house, India may have broken the international border law. [6] [7] [8]
Bangladesh will face some problems if India withdraws more than 1.82 cusecs of water because it may affect the Muhuri-Feni irrigation project, which utilizes the water from the Feni River. [9] Around 230.076 hectares land area is under the Muhuri-Feni irrigation project. [10]
The deal on the Feni river comes amid Bangladesh's frustration over refusal to sign the Teesta deal, which was scheduled to be finalized during the Indian PM at the time, Manmohan Singh’s visit to Dhaka in 2011. It was not possible due to opposition from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. [11]
Water from the Teesta is crucial for Bangladesh's northern region where farmers depend heavily on underground water for irrigation during the lean season. [12]
After criticising the government online, Abrar Fahad (b. 13 May 1998- d. 7 Oct 2019), a second year student of electrical and electronic engineering at the department of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), was tortured and then killed by Buet's Chhatra League leaders inside Buet's Sher-e-Bangla Hall. The incident that led to this was Fahad's Facebook post, in which he expressed his critical views about Bangladesh's agreement with India to allow the withdrawal of water from the Feni River. [13] [14] An autopsy report confirmed that Fahad was beaten to death for at least four hours by blunt objects (cricket stumps and bamboo sticks). [15] [16]
Feni is a district located in the South-Eastern part of Bangladesh. It is a part of the Greater Noakhali. It is an Administrative division of Chittagong. As of 2015, the district's estimated population stood at 1,437,371, making it the ninth-most populous district in Chittagong Division. Feni was the part of Greater Noakhali. The administrative hub of the district is in Feni City, which also serves as the headquarters of Feni Sadar Upazila in the central section of the district. The original name of the district was Shamshernagar, which served as a mahakuma under the district of Noakhali until 15 February 1984. The district consists of six sub-districts: Sonagazi, Fulgazi, Parshuram, Daganbhuiyan, Chhagalnaiya and Feni Sadar.
Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) is a public technological university located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It focuses on the study of engineering and architecture. Founded in 1876 as Dhaka Survey School, it is the oldest institution for the study of engineering, architecture and urban planning in Bangladesh. The university campus is located at the Palashi area of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.
Feni River is a river in southeastern Bangladesh and Tripura state of India. It is a trans-boundary river with an ongoing dispute about water rights. The Feni River originates in South Tripura district and flows through Sabroom town and then enters Bangladesh. Muhuri River, also called Little Feni, from Noakhali District joins it near its mouth. The river is navigable by small boats as far as Ramgarh, about 80 kilometres (50 mi) upstream.
Munshiganj, also historically known as Bikrampur, is a district in central Bangladesh. It is a part of the Dhaka Division and borders Dhaka District.
Sabroom is a town and a nagar panchayat on South Tripura district in the Indian state of Tripura. Sabroom is located in the banks of the Feni River, which separates India and Bangladesh. Most of the people speak in Noakhailla.
Fulgazi, also spelt Phulgazi, is an upazila of the Feni District, located in Bangladesh's Chittagong Division. It is best known as the home upazila of Khaleda Zia, a former Prime Minister of Bangladesh.
The Bangladesh Chhatra League, formerly known as the East Pakistan Student League, often simply called the Chhatra League, is a students' political organisation in Bangladesh, founded by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 4 January 1948. BSL is the student wing of the Bangladesh Awami League.
The Silchar–Sabroom section is a railway line under Lumding railway division of Northeast Frontier Railway zone of Indian Railways. It is a single 1,676 mm broad-gauge track from Silchar in Cachar district of Assam state to Agartala in West Tripura district of Tripura state. The 43 km-long 1,676 mm segment from Agartala southwards to Udaipur, Tripura was completed in 2016 and became operational on 23 January 2017. The remaining 70 km long track to Sabroom at the bank of Feni River at Bangladesh border was completed in 2019 and became operational on 3 October 2019.
Muhuri is a transnational river between India and Bangladesh. Rising in Tripura, it flows into Bangladesh where it merges with the Feni near the latter's mouth to the Bay of Bengal. The Muhuri is also known as the Little Feni.
Saiful Islam is a Bangladeshi academic. He served as the 13th vice-chancellor of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology.
Sabroom railway station is a railway station in South Tripura district, Tripura, India. Its code is SBRM. It serves Sabroom town and is the last station in Tripura state. It is situated the bank of Feni River near Bangladesh border.
India-Bangladesh Border Haat is a border trade market between Bangladesh and India. It is a market place organised by the two countries one day each week. It is not only a market for buying daily commodities but also a reunion spot for families living on both sides. Currently, four border haats are operational along the India-Bangladesh border. Two border haats are located in Meghalaya at Kalaichar and Balat and two are located in Tripura at Srinagar and Kamalasagar.
Abrar Fahad, a second year student of electrical and electronic engineering ( EEE) department of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), was tortured and then killed by BUET's Chhatra League leaders inside BUET's Sher-e-Bangla Hall. The motive for the crime was Fahad's last Facebook post where he expressed his critical views about Bangladesh's agreement with India allowing the country to withdraw water from Feni river. An autopsy report confirmed that Fahad was beaten to death by blunt objects.
Feni-3 is a constituency represented in the Jatiya Sangsad of Bangladesh since 2019 by Masud Uddin Chowdhury of the Jatiya Party (Ershad).
Md Saad Uddin is a Bangladeshi footballer who plays as a Right Winger and sometimes Right Wing-back for Dhaka Abahani and Bangladesh national team.
2019 (MMXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 2019th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 19th year of the 3rd millennium, the 19th year of the 21st century, and the 10th and last year of the 2010s decade.
Feni Gas Field is a natural gas field at Feni, Bangladesh. It is a subsidiary of a Canadian multinational company, Niko.
Task Force on Rehabilitation of India-returnee Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons is a Bangladesh government task force established to rehabilitate refugees from the Chittagong Hill Tracts conflict following the signing of the Chittagong Hill Tracts Peace Accord.
Feni Junction is a junction station located 2 km south to Feni Sadar Upazila Parishad in Feni District of Chittagong Division, Bangladesh.