Bangladeshis Accuse India For Massive Floods, MEA Refutes 'Factually Incorrect' Claim

After massive floods in Bangladesh impacted nearly 1.8 million people and led to five deaths, false reports emerged blaming India's opening of the Dumbur dam on the Gumti River in Tripura for the disaster.

India, through its Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), firmly rejected these claims as "factually incorrect," emphasising that the flooding was due to heavy rainfall in large catchment areas downstream of the dam.

"We have seen concerns being expressed in Bangladesh that the current situation of flood in districts on the eastern borders of Bangladesh has been caused by opening of the Dumbur dam upstream of the Gumti river in Tripura. This is factually not correct," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

The Gumti River flows from Tripura into Bangladesh, with the Dumbur dam located over 120 km upstream from the Bangladesh border. The MEA clarified that the flood was caused by water from those large catchments downstream of the dam, not by the release of water from the dam itself.

The Ministry stressed that floods in common rivers are a "shared" problem, affecting people on both sides and requiring close cooperation between India and Bangladesh for resolution.

Amid ongoing political tensions in Bangladesh, with rising anti-India sentiments and violent protests forcing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee to India, misinformation has spread rapidly on social media.

Some users falsely accused India of deliberately causing the floods, with claims that the Dumbur dam gates were opened for the first time in three decades, exacerbating the flooding.

"India has created an artificial flood in Bangladesh by releasing water from its dams and you still wonder why people hate India so much?" said a user on X.

"For the first time in generations, Bangladesh's entire southeastern region is facing its worst flooding in history affecting millions of people. The cause? Indian authorities opened the gates of the Dumbur Reservoir in Tripura for the first time in three decades, releasing massive volumes of water into an already rain-soaked region," said another user.

"Could there have been flooding without India opening the Dumbur Reservoir gates? Perhaps yes, but on a significantly smaller scale. The sudden release of water from the dam has inundated the region to an extent it hasn't experienced in generations," the user added.

The MEA responded with facts, explaining that the dam is a low-height structure that generates power, supplying 40MW to Bangladesh, and that the flood was primarily due to heavy rainfall in the region, not the dam's operation.

The MEA highlighted the importance of bilateral cooperation in river-water management and urged against politicising the flood situation, stressing that the two countries share 54 cross-border rivers and that resolving water-related issues requires mutual dialogue.

"We remain committed to resolving issues and mutual concerns in water resources and river water management through bilateral consultations and technical discussions," the ministry said.

India conveyed to the people of Bangladesh that floods are a common challenge and need a shared approach for resolution, hoping that the public would not fall for false propaganda aimed at damaging India-Bangladesh relations.