Bangladesh does not want ties with India to deteriorate over Teesta: Water minister
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 here. “A friend should protect the interests of a friend. We never want our friendly relations with them to deteriorate,” he said.
Anee’s remarks on Sunday 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, 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.
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.
