Bangladesh does not want Teesta dispute to hurt ties with India, says minister

Bangladesh does not want its relations with India to suffer because of the long-running dispute over sharing the waters of the Teesta river, country's water resources minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee said.Speaking at a seminar in Dhaka on Sunday, Anee said Bangladesh recognised India as a friendly neighbour but wanted New Delhi to consider 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," news agency PTI reported citing news portal tbsnews.net."A friend should protect the interests of a friend. We never want our friendly relations with them to deteriorate," he said.Bangladesh pushes for Teesta solutionThe comments come as Bangladesh's new government steps up efforts to find a solution to the Teesta dispute. Dhaka is also pursuing a broader Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project, with China offering support.The proposed project aims to address recurring floods, river erosion and shortages of water during the dry season in northern Bangladesh, where the river is crucial for farming and livelihoods.Anee said the government had held several seminars and consultations since the February election to gather expert views on the project. A detailed study based on those recommendations would help the government decide its next steps.The minister said people in five to six northern districts had high expectations from the project after years of suffering from erosion and other river-related 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.Anee said prime minister Tarique Rahman regularly discusses the project and that government departments are also reviewing its progress.Calling for an agreement on the river, 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."Why the Teesta matters to India and BangladeshThe Teesta begins in the Himalayas and flows through Sikkim and West Bengal before entering Bangladesh. It eventually joins the Jamuna, which is the Bangladeshi name for the Brahmaputra.The river is particularly important to northern Bangladesh, where farmers depend on its water. It is also important to West Bengal for irrigation and power generation, with several districts in North Bengal relying on its waters.India and Bangladesh have been discussing the sharing of Teesta waters since the 1980s. An interim arrangement reached in 1983 allocated 39 per cent of the water to India and 36 per cent to Bangladesh, leaving 25 per cent unallocated.The two sides continued negotiations but failed to reach a long-term agreement. A draft interim deal was finalised in 2011, but it could not be signed after the West Bengal government opposed it over concerns about water availability in the state.China's role adds a strategic angleBangladesh's renewed push for the Teesta project has gained a wider strategic dimension because of China's involvement.During his visit to Beijing in June, Rahman held talks with Chinese leaders and secured a commitment from Beijing to speed up a technical feasibility study for the proposed Teesta restoration project.For India, greater Chinese involvement in northern Bangladesh is sensitive because the region lies close to the Siliguri Corridor. The narrow corridor is India's crucial land link between the northeastern states and the rest of the country.India has maintained that the Teesta issue should be discussed with all relevant stakeholders, including West Bengal.External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in July that India's position on the proposed Teesta project had already been conveyed to Bangladesh. He said India would consider "all related developments" as part of its "overall approach to the Teesta issue".Teesta separate from Ganges treatyThe Teesta negotiations are separate from the India-Bangladesh Ganges Water Sharing Treaty signed in 1996.That treaty is valid for 30 years and is due to expire in December 2026. India and Bangladesh share 54 transboundary rivers and use the Joint Rivers Commission to address issues related to their common water resources.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.