Bangladesh does not want its friendly ties with India to deteriorate over the long-pending Teesta water-sharing agreement, a senior Minister has said, urging New Delhi to take into account Dhaka’s interests while pursuing its own.

“The neighbouring country is a friendly country. They have to think that while they have their interests, we also have ours,” Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee was quoted as saying by news portal tbsnews.net at a seminar.

“A friend should protect the interests of a friend. We never want our friendly relations with them to deteriorate,” he said.

Mr. Anee’s remarks on Sunday (August 16, 2026) come amid a renewed push by Bangladesh to address the Teesta issue, including through the proposed Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project with China’s support, as Dhaka seeks to tackle recurring floods, river erosion and dry-season water shortages in the country’s northern districts.

He said the government had organised several seminars and consultations since the February election to gather expert views on the proposed Teesta project.

A detailed study based on those recommendations would help the government take concrete steps, Mr. Anee said at the seminar titled ‘Sustainable Management of the Teesta River’, jointly organised by the Ministry of Water Resources and the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology.

Describing the project as a major challenge, the minister said people in five to six northern districts had high expectations from it after suffering for years from river erosion and other problems.

“If we fail to implement it, the damage and problems faced by families in those areas will continue to increase. We have to overcome this challenge anyhow,” he said.

The Teesta issue has remained a major irritant in India-Bangladesh water cooperation for decades.

Why Teesta matters

The Teesta originates in the Himalayas and flows through Sikkim and West Bengal before entering Bangladesh, where it eventually joins the Jamuna, the Bangladeshi name for the Brahmaputra.

While the river is particularly important for agriculture and livelihoods in northern Bangladesh, it is vital for irrigation and power generation in West Bengal. Several hydropower projects are located in the river’s upper catchment areas, and nearly half a dozen districts in North Bengal depend on its waters.

India and Bangladesh have discussed sharing the Teesta waters since the 1980s. An interim arrangement reached in 1983 provided for 39% of the water to India and 36% to Bangladesh, with the remaining 25% unallocated. It was followed by further negotiations, but no comprehensive long-term agreement was reached.

A draft interim agreement was finalised in 2011, which envisaged a sharing formula for the dry season. However, it could not be signed after opposition from the West Bengal government over concerns about the impact on water availability in the state.

Mr. Anee said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman regularly discusses the project, while departmental and inter-ministerial meetings review its progress.

Asserting that a treaty is “urgently needed”, he said, “Whether it is called the Teesta treaty or the Teesta master plan, or whatever is necessary to implement this project, we will move towards implementation.” During his official visit to Beijing in June, Mr. Rahman had held high-level talks with Chinese leadership, securing Beijing’s commitment to expedite the technical feasibility study for the contentious Teesta restoration project.

Bangladesh’s decision to seek Chinese involvement in the Teesta project has added a strategic dimension to the issue.

For India, the prospect of a deeper Chinese footprint in northern Bangladesh is more sensitive because of the region’s proximity to the Siliguri Corridor, the narrow land link connecting the country’s Northeastern states with the rest of India.

India has maintained that the Teesta issue needs to be addressed through discussions with all relevant stakeholders, including West Bengal.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in July said that India’s views on the proposed Teesta river project had already been conveyed to the Bangladeshi side.

He said India would factor in “all related developments” in its “overall approach to the Teesta issue”.

The Teesta issue is separate from the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, signed by India and Bangladesh in 1996 for 30 years and due to expire in December 2026. The two countries share 54 transboundary rivers and address water-related issues through the Joint Rivers Commission.

Published – August 18, 2026 12:30 pm IST

Bangladesh’s interim government wants to restart with India the dialogue on the Teesta water sharing treaty, advisor on water resources Syeda Rizwana Hasan has said, asserting that upper-riparian and lower-riparian countries should adhere to international principles on the distribution of water.

Speaking to PTI in Dhaka, Ms. Hasan expressed confidence that the Teesta treaty and other water-sharing agreements with India would be resolved amicably through dialogue but suggested that Bangladesh might consider international legal documents and principles if an agreement cannot be reached.

What is the lowdown on sharing of Teesta waters?

“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,” she told PTI in an interview on Sunday (September 1, 2024).

“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,” she said.

India and Bangladesh were set to ink a deal on Teesta water sharing during then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s Dhaka visit in 2011, but West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declined to endorse it, citing scarcity of water in her State.

“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,” she said.

Ms. Hasan noted that the issue of international water sharing can be better handled if both upper-riparian and lower-riparian countries adhere to certain international legal principles.

“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 renowned environmentalist of Bangladesh said.

The 56-year-old advisor to Bangladesh’s Department of Water, Forest, Environment, and Climate Change said the interim government has not yet discussed taking the issue of water sharing with India to the international forum.

“I don’t think we have discussed that yet. I think the first step for Bangladesh will be to address it with India and Nepal. We haven’t discussed taking this matter to any other country at this stage,” she said, asserting that the “issue can be resolved amicably with India.”

When asked about the erstwhile Awami League regime’s failure to seal the Teesta deal with India, Ms. Hasan said, “It did not work all these years because of the political context that Bangladesh had. Now that the political context of Bangladesh has changed, and some actors have changed, arguments may also shift. So, we will first try to resolve it bilaterally, and then we will consider taking it to an international level,” she said.

Bangladesh is crisscrossed by more than 200 rivers, 54 of which are transboundary rivers with upper riparian India, across four major basins. Hasan wondered why both countries, which share so many rivers, have water agreements on only eight rivers.

Speaking about Indo-Bangla relations in the context of the water-sharing treaty between both countries, Ms. Hasan said the people of Bangladesh want the treaties to be concluded as soon as possible.

“I think it is important in any relationship to demonstrate friendship. The friendship must be demonstrated. When there was a suffocating situation in Bangladesh, as people were not allowed to vote for years, there was a feeling that India favoured only one political party. With these floods in Bangladesh, the people want this water-sharing treaty to be expedited and early warning mechanisms to protect lives from floods,” she said.

Speaking about the floods in Bangladesh, Ms. Hasan said there is a need for joint efforts on early warning mechanisms.

“Bangladesh and India share 54 rivers. The fact remains that the two countries have been able to conclude water-sharing agreements for only eight rivers. So, the region of Bangladesh affected by flash floods is not covered by prior information agreements,” she said.

The Ramon Magsaysay awardee said that while water-sharing agreements can be complex and challenging for upper and lower riparian countries, “this early warning is not that complicated. It is more of a humanitarian ground,” emphasising the importance of simply sharing information.

She noted that the crisis presented “Bangladesh with a chance to address the issue with India and emphasised that both nations can learn from the situation and should initiate dialogue on river water management,” especially as climate change is likely to increase such disasters.

Ms. Hasan also said the interim government “has not taken any decision yet” regarding the extradition of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from India, but the Nobel Laureate Md Yunus-led interim government is committed to ensuring justice for the people of Bangladesh.

“The interim government hasn’t really made any decision on it. However, the interim government is committed to ensuring justice for all the atrocities committed against the people of Bangladesh (by the Sheikh Hasina regime). I am sure the person who left the country at that time will be one of the prime accused,” she said.

“In that case, if justice requires us to make any decision on her extradition, we have to sit and decide together. Once a decision is made, you will all be informed,” she added.

After unprecedented anti-government protests that peaked on August 5, Sheikh Hasina resigned as Prime Minister and fled to India. Hasina’s presence in India for more than three weeks has given rise to speculation in Bangladesh.