As Teesta project advances with China, Bangladesh urges India to safeguard Dhaka's interests

Bangladesh has said it does not want its friendly relations with India to suffer over the long-pending Teesta water-sharing agreement, while urging New Delhi to take Dhaka's interests into account. Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee made the remarks at a seminar on Sunday (August 16, 2026), according to news portal tbsnews.net.

"The neighbouring country is a friendly country. They have to think that while they have their interests, we also have ours," Mr. Anee said. "A friend should protect the interests of a friend. We never want our friendly relations with them to deteriorate."

The minister's comments come as Bangladesh pursues a comprehensive plan to address recurring floods, river erosion and dry-season water shortages in its northern districts, including the proposed Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project with China's support.

Speaking at a seminar titled 'Sustainable Management of the Teesta River', jointly organised by the Ministry of Water Resources and the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Mr. Anee said the government had held several consultations since the February election to gather expert views. A detailed study based on these recommendations would help the government take concrete steps.

Describing the project as a major challenge, he said people in five to six northern districts had high expectations after years of suffering. "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 added.

The Teesta issue has been a persistent irritant in India-Bangladesh water cooperation for decades. The river originates in the Himalayas, flows through Sikkim and West Bengal, and enters Bangladesh before joining the Jamuna, the local name for the Brahmaputra. It is crucial for agriculture and livelihoods in northern Bangladesh, as well as for irrigation and power generation in West Bengal, where several hydropower projects are located.

The river's water is especially critical during the dry season, when flow levels drop and both countries compete for limited supplies. The failure to reach a comprehensive agreement has been a major obstacle to deeper water cooperation between the two neighbours.

India and Bangladesh have discussed sharing Teesta waters since the 1980s. An interim arrangement in 1983 allotted 39% of the water to India and 36% to Bangladesh, with the remaining 25% unallocated. Further negotiations followed, but no long-term agreement was reached. A draft interim agreement in 2011, which envisaged a dry-season sharing formula, could not be signed due to objections from the West Bengal government over concerns about water availability in the state.

Mr. Anee said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman regularly discusses the project, and that a treaty is "urgently needed". "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," he asserted. During his visit to Beijing in June, Mr. Rahman secured China's commitment to expedite a technical feasibility study for the restoration project.

Bangladesh's move to involve China has added a strategic dimension to the issue. For India, a deeper Chinese footprint in northern Bangladesh is particularly sensitive because of the region's proximity to the Siliguri Corridor, the narrow land link connecting India's northeastern states with the rest of the country. India has maintained that the Teesta issue needs to be addressed through discussions.

The minister's remarks reflect Bangladesh's desire to balance its developmental needs with maintaining strong ties with its neighbour. As the Teesta project moves forward, both countries face the challenge of finding a mutually acceptable solution to a decades-old dispute that affects millions of people.