Farakka Long March

The Farakka Long March occurred in May 1976, and was led by Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, demanding demolition of the Farakka Barrage constructed by India to divert flow of Ganges waters inside its territory, triggering the drying up of river Padma and desertification of Bangladesh.[1] It was the first popular movement against India demanding a rightful distribution of the Ganges's water.[2] Since then Historic Farakka Long March Day is observed on 16 May every year in Bangladesh.[3]

Farakka Long March
DateMay 1976
Location
Bangladesh
Caused by
  • Demolition of the Farakka Barrage constructed by India
  • Demanding a rightful distribution of the Ganges's water.
Methods

The-then government of Bangladesh unofficially supported Bhashani's Farakka Long March. Navy-chief Rear Admiral M. H. Khan in charge of providing logistics. Hundreds of thousands of people from all over the country gathered in Rajshahi town to participate in the Long March.

On the morning of 16 May 1976, he addressed a gathering of people at the Madrash Maidan, Rajshahi, from where the Long March commenced. Hundreds of thousands of people walked more than 100 kilometers on foot for days. The March continued up to Kansat, a place near the India-Bangladesh border, close to the Farakka barrage.

References
  1. Haq, Enamul. "Bhasani's Farakka Long March". Maulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani. Archived from the original on 10 September 2011.
  2. "Farakka Day Today". The New Nation. 16 May 2010 – via HighBeam Research. It was the first popular movement against India demanding a rightful distribution of the water of Ganges.
  3. 30th Anniversary of Farakka Long March The Daily Star,Dhaka, May 15, 2006.
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