DHAKA, May 7: Bangladesh’s water resources minister on Saturday blamed India’s indifference for no meeting of the two countries’ Joint River Commission (JRC) in more than a year.

“We have requested India several times for setting a date for the meeting, but it is yet to be fixed,” Hafizuddin Ahmed said at a meet-the-press programme. “The commission must sit at least twice a year.”

The minister said Dhaka was concerned over Delhi’s plans to divert water from international rivers in the east to arid areas in the south-west. The minister told journalists that he had asked international donors, including the World Bank, not to finance India’s river-linking project.

“I believe India is capable of implementing this mega project by itself if it wants, but we have still requested the international donors not to fund it as it will be disastrous for Bangladesh,” said the minister.

Though India is yet to finalize the project, Bangladesh handed over a protest note expressing concern over the $120 billion project when the BJP government was in power.