Bangladesh’s interim govt ‘keen to restart talks’ on Teesta water treaty with India

Bangladesh’s new interim government has expressed interest in restarting talks with India over sharing the waters of the Teesta River to “find an amicable solution”.

Bangladesh might “engage internationally” through international legal documents and principles if an agreement cannot be reached, adviser to Bangladesh’s water resources department Syeda Rizwana Hasan told news agency PTI on Sunday.

“I have discussed the issue of Teesta water sharing with all relevant stakeholders (in Bangladesh). We have discussed that we need to restart the process and dialogue regarding the Teesta treaty. We also have to work on the Ganges treaty, which is coming to an end in two years,” Hasan said.

This also comes amid former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s continued presence in India after fleeing the country following anti-government protests which led to her ouster on August 5.

The yet-to-materialise Teesta Treaty is based on Bangladesh’s demand for equitable distribution of Teesta water with India on the lines of the Ganga Water Treaty of 1996. The 414 km-long Teesta river flows through the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal, before flowing into the river Meghna in Bangladesh.

Referring to international principles on water distribution, Hasan said: “We would try to find an amicable solution. As this is an international water issue, it also concerns other countries’ consideration of legal entitlement. So, how much water is available and whether it is sufficient is unclear to us. Even if very minimal water is available, the flow must continue to Bangladesh due to international sharing norms. Bangladesh may consider endorsing international legal principles and documents regarding water sharing. That is what I mean when I say we might engage internationally.”

The last discussion over water-sharing between the two countries was held during former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India in December 2021. While no formal agreement was reached, talks between Hasina and PM Narendra Modi indicated a renewed commitment to resolving the dispute.

After the meeting, India also took the decision to send an Indian technical team to hold talks on the conservation of the Teesta River within Bangladesh.

“Both sides agreed, and a draft of the Teesta water-sharing agreement was prepared, but the agreement was not signed due to the opposition of the West Bengal Chief Minister. The fact remains that we have not been able to finalise the agreement. So, we will start from that point with the draft of the agreement and urge India to come forward and restart the dialogue process,” the adviser to the Department of Water, Forest, Environment, and Climate Change said in the interview.

In 2011,  the two countries were set to ink a deal during then-PM Manmohan Singh’s Dhaka visit, but West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declined to endorse it, citing scarcity of water in her state.