Prioritise water diplomacy for equitable river water share with India: Analysts to govt

Maintaining a fair share of water must be central to bilateral deals with India, a priority that has been missing from the top agenda over the years, water resources and legal experts said today (23 June).

Bangladesh should reconsider the facilities it grants India, such as transit, if equitable sharing of transboundary waters is not ensured, they suggested at a webinar titled "Bangladesh-India Water Distribution: Experiences, Fears and Expectations," organised by the Forum for Bangladesh Studies. 

Asif Nazrul, a law professor at the Dhaka University, as the key speaker, said the Teesta agreement is not happening because of the Indian government. 

He clarified, "It's often cited that the agreement is stalled due to the reluctance of the West Bengal government, but in India, such state-level agreements are carried out under the central government."

Professor Nazrul further said critical issues like the Teesta agreement have not been prioritised in the highest-level meetings between the two countries. 

He also noted that Bangladesh has not received the expected water from the Ganga river as per the agreement. He also criticised the recent databases of the Joint River Commission, calling them "unreliable and questionable."

Professor Ainun Nishat, water resources management expert, expressed disappointment over the decision that an Indian technical team will visit Bangladesh to discuss conserving Teesta water within Bangladesh.

He remarked, "The more we rely on India, the weaker our political bargaining power becomes. While India pursues its own interests, have we effectively communicated our needs?"  

Regarding the Indian technical team's visit, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud at a press briefing yesterday said the Teesta project is significant, necessitating the presence of a technical team. Their visit will signal a positive development. 

He added, "Our recent visit to India was constructive and friendly. We discussed joint river management, including the Teesta River, which is among our 54 shared rivers. Efficient management could benefit both countries."

Present at the webinar, political scientist Professor Ali Riaz said water is not a matter to be taken lightly for Bangladesh as it is related to its existence and national security.

He warned, "Bangladesh's rivers and water resources are its lifeblood, if they are depleted, it could permanently cripple the country."

He said Bangladesh is experiencing drying rivers, particularly in the northern region. "This environmental degradation due to unfair water rights denial undermines our national security, potentially leading to an existential crisis."

Speakers at the event also expressed concern about India's national river linking project, which they believe would severely harm Bangladesh. 

They called on the government to voice opposition to the project, which aims to transfer water from water-rich basins to water-deficient ones through a network of nearly 3,000 storage dams linking 37 rivers in India.