"It is not fair [on India's part] to implement the river-link project without consulting its neighbours as it would create ecological imbalance in some parts of India and in entire Bangladesh," Hafizuddin told the concluding session of a workshop titled ' Bangladesh Country Water Resources Assistance Strategy' organised by the World Bank (WB).

The minister said Bangladesh is eager to settle all water-related disputes with its next-door neighbour through discussion, but things largely depends on the positive gesture from the Indian side.

Referring to the Join River Commission (JRC) meeting, Hafiz said both India and Bangladesh were supposed to sit four times in a year, 'but we can't sit once even in four years'.

"A win-win situation can take place in water-related issues only after incorporating Nepal and Bhutan into the Indo-Bangla talks," he added.

On the country's water management system, he said ground water management is a difficult issue as nearly 50 percent of the ground water has been contaminated by arsenic. "It is true that we are not prepared to meet the water challenges 50 years from now, (but) we have to do something right now to face the challenges," Hafiz observed.