Bangladesh to negotiate with India about Teesta River water distribution

Mamata Banerjee has already opposed the negotiations

Saeeda Rizwana Hassan, Advisor to the Department of Water Resources to the Interim Government of Bangladesh

Dhaka – Bangladesh will soon take steps to negotiate with India on the water sharing of the Teesta River, said Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Advisor to the Environment Ministry in the Interim Government of Bangladesh. Hasan was speaking at a seminar on ‘Bangladesh’s Equitable Share of Common River Waters’.

In 2011, during the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Dhaka, an agreement was signed between India and Bangladesh on Teesta River water sharing; but the Chief Minister of Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, had expressed opposition to this agreement saying that ‘due to the distribution of Teesta river water, there will be a water shortage in the State in Bengal’.

The demands of Bangladesh will be presented clearly and firmly

Syeda Rizwana Hasan further said that the issue of water sharing of international rivers is complex; but the exchange of necessary information should not be political. A country needs to know the rainfall statistics. No country can go unilaterally to the International Court on this point. Bangladesh’s demands will be presented clearly and firmly. She said that it is also necessary to protect the rivers within the country.

Earlier this month, the head of Bangladesh’s Interim Government, Mohammad Yunus, said his Government would try to resolve differences with India over the long-pending Teesta water-sharing agreement.