Bangladesh stresses on water-sharing agreement with India

Bangladesh emphasized the need to sign an interim agreement with India to share the water of six transboundary rivers that the two nations share.  It said the agreement will help the millions of people living on both sides of the border.

Water secretaries of the two nations held a meeting on Tuesday in New Delhi and discussed the pending agreement on sharing of Teest river water. The thorny issue of water sharing remained one of the key resolved matters which is of utmost importance to both countries.

Kabir Bin Anwar, Bangladesh’s senior secretary of Water Resources Ministry and Pankaj Kumar, secretary of India’s Jal Shakti Ministry held the discussion along with their respective delegation. Bangladesh High commissioner to India Muhammad Imran also attended the meeting, as per a report in Dhaka Tribune.

Bangladesh also expressed optimism that the Indian water minister was expected to visit Bangladesh this year for the 38th meeting of the Joint Water Commission to hold the further discussion in this regard.

In the meeting, the issue of withdrawal of water for the Feni river for drinking purposes was also discussed. Both stressed the implantation of the MoU signed on the Feni river.

Significantly, the two nations have had significant exchanges at the secretary-level of various ministries just ahead of the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He will join the golden jubilee ceremony of Bangladesh independence late this month.