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New Delhi: The formation of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in West Bengal has raised hopes in Dhaka for a breakthrough on the long-stalled Teesta river water-sharing deal. The agreement has been on hold for 14 years, largely due to opposition from former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who lost the recent assembly polls. 

With the deal remaining elusive for over a decade, Bangladesh has moved to implement the Teesta Mega Project, formally known as the “Comprehensive Management and Restoration of Teesta River Project,” with Chinese funding. This geopolitical development may create urgency to move forward for both India and the United States.

Additionally, Bangladesh is planning to move ahead with project at a time when the looming expiry of another critical agreement is around the corner. The 30-year Ganges water-sharing treaty, signed in 1966, is set to expire in December 2026. Bangladesh has already begun negotiations with India to either extend or replace the treaty. West Bengal’s consent will be essential here as well, since water is a state subject under the constitution of India.

Bangladesh is not waiting on India

Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, in response to a journalist’s question following the elections in West Bengal, said, “there will be expectations that the agreement reached at that time can be considered in the current context. But we cannot simply sit and wait. We have our own work to do.” 

Rahman, describing the Teesta water issue as a matter of “life and death” for........

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