Bangladesh Seeks New Ganges Water-Sharing Treaty with India: Anee

Water Resources Minister Md Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee has said Bangladesh wants to negotiate a new Ganges Water-Sharing Treaty with India instead of simply renewing the existing agreement.

He said the new treaty should contain a guarantee clause while ensuring the protection of Bangladesh’s national interests.

The minister made the remarks at a rivers-focused event held in the capital on Thursday.

He said rivers play a vital role in Bangladesh’s economy but are increasingly being affected by industrialisation and climate change.

Anee stressed the importance of identifying the root causes of river pollution, describing the Buriganga River as one of the country’s major challenges.

The event was informed that Dhaka generates around 3,900 million litres of wastewater every day, with nearly 1,500 million litres eventually flowing into rivers.

Speakers at the event said river pollution causes Bangladesh economic losses amounting to billions of dollars each year.

The 1996 Ganges Water-Sharing Treaty is a 30-year bilateral agreement between India and Bangladesh, signed on December 12, 1996. It governs the sharing of dry-season water flows of the Ganges River—known as the Padma in Bangladesh—at the Farakka Barrage from January 1 to May 31.