Sunday, March 13 2005 18:38 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Dhaka: Bangladesh has protested against India's reported plans to construct a dam in Assam, which it says could dry up two of its rivers.

"We are seriously concerned about it and sent a note verbale through our high commissioner in New Delhi to the Indian Government with a request to resolve the problem through discussion," Foreign Minister Morshed Khan told reporters yesterday (March 12, 2005) about the reported plans by India.

He said the construction of what India calls a "reservoir" at Tipaimukh would dry up the major Surma and Kushiara rivers flowing the tea-growing region.

"India has initiated such a move at Tipaimukh across (north-eastern) Sylhet border in 1993 to divert water from upstream of the common river system but it was stopped following an understanding at political level between Dhaka and New Delhi," he was quoted as saying by the private UNB news agency.

Most of the rivers flow into the Bay of Bengal, with origin in upper stream, after criss-crossing through Bangladesh.