Hasina chooses India on Teesta basin development; rejects Chinese proposal

Virtually rejecting an offer from China, the Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced on Tuesday that Bangladesh would accept and go forward with the proposal from India to develop the Teesta river basin.

India offered a billion dollar ‘Teesta river water comprehensive management and restoration project’, during the just concluded state visit by the Bangladesh PM to India, on June 21 and 22. The announcement was made by PM Hasina during a press conference she held at her office ‘Ganabhavan’ after her return from India, in which she outlined the substance of her intensive discussions in New Delhi.

The Bangladesh PM is scheduled to visit Beijing on July 8 at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

During her media interaction today, PM Hasina expressed her desire to talk to the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on issues relating to the Teesta river and the Ganges water sharing agreement, which is due for renewal in 2026.

The deadline for the renewal of the Ganges Waters Treaty, which was signed for a 30-year period in 1996, is in 2026. However, even it is not renewed then, the old agreement will remain valid and the sharing of waters in the lean season will continue as per the previous agreement.

WB Chief Minister Banerjee has written to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressing her anguish that the union government was proposing unilateral initiatives on both these river waters projects, without consulting the state Government. According to the Indian Constitution, the issue of water sharing is a state subject and no agreement could be signed without the consent of the concerned state government.

PM Hasina stated in her presser that China had also given a proposal to develop the Teesta river basin. “But,” she said, “we are looking into the best option. We have to see which loan offer is best suited for us, according to our repayment capacity. As India has offered to develop the Teesta river basin, this development project has the potential to permanently resolve the river water sharing issue.”

Regarding the West Bengal CM’s objection to not being consulted about both the river waters projects, PM Hasina first said, “it is the India’s internal matter. I have nothing to say on this. But I can say that during my stay in Delhi, I did not find Mamata Banerjee there. Even I tried to contact her over telephone. Whatever mobile number I had was not in use. I am told she does not use a mobile phone these days.”

PM Hasina also said, “Whatever she (Mamata Banerjee) has written in her letter (to the Indian PM) I agree on one important point she has raised. That is about the dredging of the Ganges river. If dredging does not take place at regular intervals, then the river will be silted. Navigability of the river will go down… I have good relations with both PM Modi and Mamata,” she said, appearing confident that she would be able to go ahead with talks. She agreed that all the stake holders in such matters should be taken on board.

“I am even ready to discuss with Mamata on these issues,” she said.

The Bangladesh PM added that there is another issue, about the withdrawal of water at an upstream point, which is creating a problem for Bangladesh, as a lower riparian state. There are allegations that China is also withdrawing water in the upstream reaches of the rivers.

When asked about her views about China, PM Hasina said, “I follow the foreign policy laid down by the Father of the Nation, ‘Bangabandhu,’ which states that Bangladesh wants friendship towards all and malice towards none.”

“The Teesta basin development project is an old project of Bangladesh. Now If India comes forward, then it is welcome. They are sending a technical team soon to study the project.”

India News Stream was the first to report that “A breakthrough on the ‘Teesta river waters’ issue” was expected during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s state visit to New Delhi on June 21-22. – INDIA NEWS STREAM