WorldPosted at: Oct 8 2026 6:04PM


Bangladesh hopes to conclude new Ganges water-sharing treaty by December

Dhaka, Oct 8 (UNI) Bangladesh hopes to conclude a new Ganges water-sharing agreement with India before the current 30-year treaty expires on December 12, 2026, Bangladesh Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee said on Thursday.
Speaking to journalists after a seminar at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS), Anee said restoring a “guarantee clause” similar to the one included in the 1977 agreement was among Dhaka’s key priorities.
The Ganges Water Sharing Treaty was signed by Bangladesh and India on December 12, 1996, for 30 years.
Anee said Bangladesh was also seeking a longer-term agreement that would include the guarantee provision.
“The 1977 agreement, signed during the lifetime of President Ziaur Rahman, included a guarantee clause for the first five years. But when the agreement was renewed or a new deal was signed in 1996, the guarantee clause was dropped,” he said.
“We have to reach a new agreement before 12 December. Accordingly, Bangladesh and India are working continuously through the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC),” Anee said, adding that Dhaka was hopeful of reaching an agreement before December 12, 2026.
At a separate event, Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said water-sharing issues with India would have to be resolved through discussion, dialogue and diplomacy, while taking relevant principles of international law into account.
“Discussions and dialogues are ongoing and will continue,” Kobir told reporters after attending the BIISS seminar, titled ‘Rethinking Water Futures: Youth Leadership, Justice and Cooperation’, in Dhaka.
He said an amicable outcome would depend on sincerity and a willingness to cooperate at all levels on both sides.
Bangladesh has formed a committee to examine the issues, while India is also reviewing them through its own mechanisms, he said.
Kobir said progress would depend on political will from both countries to move forward through cooperation.
Bangladesh and India share 54 trans-boundary rivers, making water management and equitable sharing a significant part of bilateral relations.
The Joint Rivers Commission remains the main mechanism for discussions on shared rivers.
As the 1996 treaty approaches the end of its current term, Bangladesh is seeking an arrangement that protects its interests, including adequate water flows during the dry season.
Notably, the guarantee clause, present in the 1977 agreement, protected Bangladesh against exceptionally low water levels during the dry/lean season.
If the flow of the Ganges at the Farakka Barrage in India dropped severely (below 80%), Bangladesh was still guaranteed 80% of its designated share. Under this rule, any sudden shortfall in river flow during dry months would be entirely absorbed by India, ensuring a predictable minimum supply for Bangladesh. When the current 1996 treaty was signed, the guarantee clause was dropped.
The Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson has emphasised that India and Bangladesh have an established bilateral mechanism to address issues related to shared rivers, and that matters concerning the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty would be considered within the existing cooperation frameworks.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal has said: “We have 54 rivers that are shared between India and Bangladesh, and we have a joint rivers commission, a structured bilateral mechanism to deal with issues pertaining to all the rivers that we share between India and Bangladesh.”
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