In a bold display of public protest, residents of Feni on 28th August 2024 formed a human chain, demanding international accountability and equitable sharing of transboundary rivers, alongside compensation from the Loss and Damage Fund for the devastating floods that have ravaged their district and other parts of Bangladesh.
The demonstrators called for international legal action against the responsible state and urged the United Nations to facilitate compensation for the widespread destruction caused by the floods.
The human chain, organized under the banner “We are Feni Residents,” took place in front of the Feni Polytechnic Institute, with participants standing in knee-deep floodwaters. Protesters held placards made from relief sacks, demanding the demolition of upstream dams, equitable water distribution, and justice for those affected by the floods.
They also called for Bangladesh to urgently sign the 1997 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Non-Navigational Uses of International Watercourses, a critical move to protect the country’s rights in managing shared water resources and to strengthen its legal position in negotiations with neighboring countries.
Dr. Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder informed “The loss is staggering, with over 64,000 livestock dead and damages in the livestock sector alone nearing 4 billion BDT.”
He also pointed fingers at the upstream country for failing to follow international water laws. “India must be held accountable for opening the emergency gates without notifying us,” Dr. Majumder asserted.
“This is a clear violation that led to preventable deaths and destruction. We need this addressed in an international court.” He added.
