By Elishya Perera
DHAKA, Bangladesh (CWBN)_During the virtual summit held between India and Bangladesh yesterday (Dec 17), Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged India to sign an agreement for sharing the waters of the Teestar River.
“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina highlighted the need for the early signing of an interim agreement for the sharing of the Teesta waters, as agreed upon by both the governments in 2011,” said a joint statement issued following the summit.
The unresolved issue revolves around the Teestar River which runs through both countries, and livelihoods of as many as 21 million people depend on the Bangladesh side of the border.
Although the central government of India has shown willingness to reach an accord in this regard, however, there has been resistance from the government of West Bengal, which claims that such an agreement would render parts of the Indian state dry.
“Rivers should nurture the India-Bangladesh relationship and not become a source of discord,” Indian Prime Minister said during his first term as PM. Nevertheless, the Indian Constitution specifies that the central government cannot make any decision on water without the consent of the state governments.
Amidst such resistence from India, Bangladesh is set to receive a loan of US$ 1 billion from the government of the People’s Republic of China, in order to implement the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration project which intends to maintain water levels during the drought season.
This loan from Beijing marks the first time India’s rival being involved in a river management project in Bangladesh, as the communist regime continues to expand its footprint across the region through the construction of infrastructure work.
