BNP Leader Proposes Regional Water Management Mechanism at HKH Parliamentarians’ Meet

Dhaka, August 18, 2025 – Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, a member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Standing Committee, on Monday called for the establishment of a regional water management mechanism to address the interlinked challenges of biodiversity and water management in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region. Speaking at a high-level panel discussion on the sidelines of the HKH Parliamentarians’ Meet 2025 in Nepal, Khosru emphasized the urgent need to tackle water-sharing issues affecting lower riparian countries like Bangladesh.

“We are really not discussing the water issue, which is extremely important,” Khosru said during the session titled ‘Impacts of Climate Change, Disaster Risks, and the Role of Parliamentarians.’ He criticized upper riparian countries for withdrawing water and constructing dams and hydropower projects in violation of international water-sharing laws, actions he said are devastating biodiversity, agriculture, and livelihoods downstream.

“Bangladesh is really suffering. Our agriculture and biodiversity are being affected. The livelihoods of a huge population are also at risk,” Khosru added, urging for future action to address these concerns.

Mir Arshadul Hoque, Joint Member Secretary of the National Citizen Party, echoed Khosru’s concerns, specifically highlighting the unresolved Teesta water-sharing issue. He noted that Bangladesh is deprived of its fair share of Teesta water, while excess water releases during the rainy season without prior warning exacerbate the crisis. Arshadul proposed forming a team of parliamentarians from the HKH region to monitor and address these issues collaboratively.

Khosru also advocated for integrating climate and biodiversity issues into parliamentary discussions and political discourse, suggesting the creation of parliamentary caucuses, green laws, and a green levy to promote sustainable practices.

The HKH Parliamentarians’ Meet 2025, hosted by the Federal Parliament of Nepal, opened with a call for collective action from Supradip Chakma, Bangladesh’s delegation leader and Chattogram Hill Tracts Affairs Adviser. Addressing the inaugural session, Chakma stressed the importance of solidarity in tackling climate change, biodiversity loss, and air pollution in the HKH region, which supports 240 million people in the mountains and 1.65 billion downstream.

“Let’s be together and try to see that we can bring a change for the region, for our whole Himalayan community, and for the rest of the world,” Chakma said.

The event, attended by Nepal’s President Ramchandra Paudel as chief guest and Speaker Devraj Ghimire as a special guest, featured remarks from Pema Gyamtsho, Director General of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), and representatives from other HKH countries. Technical sessions followed the inaugural event, fostering dialogue and coordination among parliamentarians to address shared challenges.

The HKH region faces mounting threats from climate change, biodiversity loss, disasters, and air pollution. The Parliamentarians’ Meet provides a platform for lawmakers to access the latest knowledge, share best practices, and discuss policy actions to build a resilient future for the region.