Dhaka, June 13 2009: The main opposition BNP today urged the international community for taking effective measures to refrain India from building Tipaimukh dam.

It also asked the government to take quick steps to stop the Indian plan.

"We are urging all as Bangladesh is a member of the United Nations and, if necessary, we will seek international community's cooperation through formal letter but will not accept Indian attempt to build the dam on the Barak River," BNP Secretary General Khandaker Delwar Hossain said at a press conference at the National Press Club.

He said it is the duty of the government to protest strongly and mount pressure on India so that it will stop the project, as Tipaimukh dam will be the life and death problem for Bangladesh but Awami League government has failed, as it has no moral strength.

Strongly criticising the government for keeping mum regarding the project, he said BNP will do everything against the controversial project if government fails to take initiative to stop it.

Former water resources minister and party Vice President Hafiz Uddin Ahmed read out a written statement highlighting the steps taken by the past BNP-led government against the project.

"All the governments except the Awami League's one protested the Indian project at different times.

Khaleda Zia's government took stance against the project from the very beginning.

BNP government protested through two verbal notes issued on April 16 and May 18, 1992," he said.

Hafiz, who was acting secretary general of party's defunct reformist faction, attended any programme with his once rival Khandaker Delwar Hossain for the first time since Delwar's appointment as secretary general by BNP chief Khaleda Zia on the day of her arrest on September 2, 2007 .

"Experts and common people believe that proposed dam will be turned into a death trap for Bangladesh.

That is why we demand the government's formal protest against the project," Hafiz said, adding that people will take all necessary steps if India continues the project ignoring the sentiment of the people of Bangladesh.

Providing minutes of the Joint River Commission (JRC) meeting, he said following his apprehension in JRC meeting his then Indian counterpart promised that they will provide all data before going to implement the project but till now India did not share any information with Bangladesh about the project.

Former Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Dr Moniruzzaman Mian and BNP leader Rizvi Ahmed, among others, were present.

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