Diplomatic Correspondent :
Bangladesh is expecting to raise the Teesta water sharing issue with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the G-20 Summit in New Delhi in the next week.
Foreign Ministry stated that as the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would attend the G-20 Summit and it is expected that she would raise the unresolved issue of Teesta water sharing along with other issues with Narendra Modi.
“We have been discussing the issue of Teesta water sharing at different high political levels.
“At a high political level, we have been discussing the issue of the Teesta River at various times.
We hope that the Prime Minister will also raise this issue again.
Besides, we have other issues to deal with,” Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen said.
He said this while talking to the journalists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after the conclusion of the “United Nations Water Conference 2023′ on Sunday.
He further mentioned, “We have 54 different rivers, and there is an agreement for the sharing of the Ganges River waters with India which will also expire soon.
This will also be discussed in our talks. We are actively engaged in discussions on all these matters through our Joint Rivers Commission and other forums.”
The water-sharing agreement between Bangladesh and India for the Ganges River was successfully negotiated and signed in 1996 after extensive discussions.
This 30-year agreement is set to conclude by the year 2026.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, the Foreign Secretary discussed the topic of trans-boundary rivers with India in a seminar held in Dhaka.
When asked if there would be discussions on international rivers in the meeting between Sheikh Hasina and Narendra Modi and if he had any information on the agenda of Sunday’s discussion, Masud Bin Momen replied, “We have not separately discussed this issue. We have discussed several other topics.”
In March this year, Dhaka had sought information from New Delhi through diplomatic channels about two new canal excavations for the diversion of Teesta River water in West Bengal.
It has been over five months since this request was made.
When asked if they have received any response from New Delhi regarding this matter, the Foreign Secretary mentioned that they haven’t received any response yet.
The Foreign Secretary also stated that in the future, there would be a renewed emphasis on raising awareness about water-related issues and solutions.
“There is no immediate concern regarding our water resources, but in the next five or ten years, there might be reasons to be worried about our water resources.
Therefore, it is essential to work on this issue scientifically and raise awareness among the people.
Everyone needs to be aware of how we can utilise our available water resources more efficiently,” he said.
“We need to work on our international commitments and engagements, resource mobilisation, tackle climate change-related challenges, and effectively utilise the funds earmarked for climate change-related projects.
There is much work ahead in these areas,” he said.
Earlier, Foreign Minister Dr. AK Abdul Momen expressed that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s attendance at the G20 Summit in New Delhi on September 9-10 will be another significant milestone in strengthening the enduring relationship between Dhaka and Delhi, further enhancing the ‘Golden Chapter’ in their ties.
