2024-09-04 00:30:28
Dhaka: Syeda Rizwana Hasan, Adviser on Water Resources Affairs in Bangladesh’s interim government, has said that the government wants to resume talks with India on the Teesta water sharing treaty. She said that the upper riparian and lower riparian countries should follow international principles on water sharing. Hasan expressed confidence that the dispute with India on the Teesta treaty and other water sharing treaties will be resolved amicably through talks but suggested that if no agreement could be reached, Bangladesh could consider international legal documents and principles.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan said in an interview on Sunday, “I have discussed the Teesta water sharing issue with all the concerned parties (in Bangladesh). In the discussion, we came to the conclusion that we need to restart the process and dialogue regarding the Teesta Treaty. We also have to work on the Ganga Treaty, whose term is going to expire in two years.” She said, “Both the parties agree and the draft of the Teesta water-sharing treaty is ready. But the agreement could not be signed due to the opposition of the Chief Minister of West Bengal. The fact is that we could not finalize the agreement. So we will start from that point with the draft agreement and urge India to come forward and restart the dialogue process.”
Mamta Banerjee has not agreed
India and Bangladesh were about to sign the Teesta water sharing treaty during the visit of then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Dhaka in 2011 but West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee refused to agree to it, citing water shortage in her state. Syeda said, “We will try to find an amicable solution. Since this is an international water issue, it also deals with the idea of legal rights of other countries. So how much water is available and whether it is sufficient is not clear to us. Even if very little water is available, Bangladesh should continue to get water from the river because of international sharing norms.”
Hasan noted that the issue of international water sharing can be better dealt with if both the upper riparian and lower riparian countries follow certain international legal principles. “Bangladesh can consider supporting international legal principles and documents regarding water sharing. This is what I mean in terms of getting involved internationally,” the noted Bangladeshi environmentalist said. The 56-year-old adviser to Bangladesh’s Department of Water, Forest, Environment and Climate Change said the interim government has not yet discussed taking the water sharing issue to the international forum with India.
Awami League targeted
When asked about the Awami League government’s failure to finalise the Teesta agreement with India, Hasan said, “It could not be successful for so many years because of the political leadership of Bangladesh.” “Now that the political leadership of Bangladesh has changed, and some people have changed, the arguments may also change. So, we will first try to solve it bilaterally, and then we will consider taking it to the international level,” he said.