Bangladesh does not want Teesta dispute to hurt ties with India, says minister Shahiduddin
Bangladesh's water resources ministry stated that the unresolved Teesta water-sharing dispute should not be allowed to hurt overall bilateral ties with India
The Teesta originates in the Himalayas, flows through Sikkim and West Bengal, and enters Bangladesh before joining the Jamuna (the Bangladeshi name for the Brahmaputra)
No final Teesta water-sharing treaty has been concluded between the two countries despite decades of negotiation
The river is a critical irrigation and livelihood source for farmers in northern Bangladesh and in North Bengal districts of India
Teesta River — Course and Significance
The Teesta is a Himalayan river originating near the Pahunri glacier in Sikkim, flowing through Sikkim and North Bengal (India) before entering Bangladesh, where it eventually merges with the Jamuna (Brahmaputra). It is a lifeline for irrigation, hydropower, and fisheries across both Sikkim/West Bengal and northern Bangladesh.
Key Details
- Length: approximately 315 km, of which a significant stretch flows through Sikkim and West Bengal
- Key Indian districts dependent on the Teesta: Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, Cooch Behar, and other North Bengal districts
- Joins the Brahmaputra (Jamuna in Bangladesh) before it merges with the Ganga (Padma) system
- Supports major irrigation projects on the Indian side (Teesta Barrage Project) and the Bangladesh side (Teesta Barrage Project at Dalia)
The minister's statement reflects the river's dual dependence — it is politically sensitive precisely because both India (West Bengal) and Bangladesh rely on the same limited dry-season flow for agriculture.
The 2011 Interim Teesta Water Sharing Agreement (Not Signed)
An interim Teesta water-sharing agreement was negotiated in 2011 under which India would have retained 42.5% and given 37.5% of Teesta waters to Bangladesh during the lean (dry) season, valid for 15 years. It was to be signed during the Indian Prime Minister's 2011 visit to Bangladesh but was withdrawn at the last moment due to objections from the West Bengal state government, which argued the allocation would hurt farmers in North Bengal.
Key Details
- Proposed sharing ratio: 42.5% India, 37.5% Bangladesh during the lean season (December-March)
- Never formally signed; remains the reference point for ongoing negotiations
- Water is a State subject under the Constitution (Entry 17, State List) while inter-state/international river issues involve the Union government — creating a Centre-State coordination challenge, since West Bengal's consent is politically necessary though not constitutionally mandatory for an international treaty
- No successor agreement has been concluded as of 2026
The Bangladeshi minister's comment that the dispute should not affect overall ties acknowledges that the interim deal remains unresolved even years after 2011, and reflects continuing diplomatic effort to manage the impasse without a final agreement.
Ganga Water Treaty, 1996 — A Comparable and Successfully Concluded India-Bangladesh River Treaty
Unlike the Teesta, the sharing of Ganga waters at the Farakka Barrage is governed by a signed and functioning treaty — the India-Bangladesh Ganga Waters Treaty of 1996, a rare successfully concluded transboundary river-sharing agreement in South Asia, useful as a comparative case for Teesta negotiations.
Key Details
- Signed 12 December 1996 for a 30-year term (1996-2026), between India and Bangladesh
- Governs dry-season (1 January-31 May) flow-sharing at the Farakka Barrage, commissioned in 1975 to augment flow to the Hooghly for Kolkata Port
- Sharing formula: if flow at Farakka is 70,000 cusecs or less, water is shared 50:50; between 70,000 and 75,000 cusecs, Bangladesh gets 35,000 cusecs and India the remainder
- Monitored jointly by both countries through a Joint Committee
The Ganga Treaty shows that India-Bangladesh river disputes can be resolved through formal treaties; its 2026 expiry (30-year term) adds separate urgency to India-Bangladesh river diplomacy alongside the still-unresolved Teesta issue.
- Teesta length: approx. 315 km; originates in Sikkim, flows through West Bengal into Bangladesh, joins the Jamuna (Brahmaputra)
- 2011 interim Teesta agreement (never signed): India 42.5%, Bangladesh 37.5% of lean-season flow, proposed for 15 years
- Ganga Water Treaty: signed 12 December 1996, 30-year term expiring in 2026, governs Farakka dry-season sharing
- Farakka Barrage commissioned: 1975
- Water is Entry 17 of the State List (Seventh Schedule); inter-state river regulation falls under Entry 56 of the Union List