Ensure access to safe water for all

They said people also have to raise their voice to force the government to ensure it.

The speakers said over the years the government has failed to ensure safe drinking water to all due to lack of proper planning.

They said the job has become more difficult due to denial of country's due share of water by its neighbour.

The roundtable on 'Right to water as legal entitlement: WTO regime and people' was organised jointly by NGOs Odhikar and Action Aid at the Spectrum Convention Centre in the city.

Law Minister Moudud Ahmed was the chief guest at the roundtable where Columnist Farhad Mazhar and Dr Asif Nazrul of Dhaka University delivered the keynote speeches.

Moudud said water has become one of the most pressing national problem as the country's rivers are drying out due to low flow of water from the upstream.

He said right to water means right to life.

"First we have to ensure nation's right to water before ensuring the citizens' right to it," he said.

Farhad Mazhar said the successive governments are entrusting the corporate bodies with the responsibilities to provide pure water and treat waste water.

"But privatisation of water means denial of our natural right over the use of water without which life is unthinkable," he added.

He said the important task is now to prevent the government from making any deals with the multinational corporations for privatisation of water.

Dr Asif Nazrul said Bangladesh does not have any law that covers all major aspects of water use and water right.

"Before formulating a national water policy we should know how much water we are getting from the sources, said M Asafuddowlah, former secretary and Editor of The Bangladesh Today, adding, "We have to raise our voice for that."

Dr Mahmudur Rahman of Dhaka Community Hospital said the nation would face severe crisis of water if the government does not become aware of its right to water at this moment.

"Whatever water we have, we cannot use it in proper way," he added.

Afsan Chowdhury, director (HR) of Brac, said Bangladesh is getting weaker in international negotiations due to internal political clashes.

"We want the state to take all responsibilities for the citizens but the government does not do much for us," he said.

Farida Akhter, executive director of UBINIG, said it is the government's duty to ensure water for all.

Dr Mushtaq Hussain, coordinator of Sammilita Peshajibi Parishad, said slum dwellers and indigenous people have very limited access to safe drinking water.

Mohammad Idris of Nagorik Udyog, Columnist Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury, Dr Dipu Moni of Awami League and Dr Rashid-E-Mahbub also spoke at the roundtable.