G20 Summit : Teesta issue to come up in PM Hasina-Modi meeting

File Photo

The long-pending Teesta water-sharing issue will come up in an upcoming meeting between Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, on the sidelines of the 2023 G20 summit in New Delhi.

Sheikh Hasina will attend the summit as an invited guest on September 9 and 10. Replying to a question, Foreign Secretary Masud Bin Momen said on Sunday that "our prime minister will definitely raise the issue."

“But we have so many other issues [to discuss with India],” he said after a follow-up discussion, organized by the foreign ministry, on Bangladesh’s commitments made at the 2023 UN Water Conference. The foreign secretary said the Joint Rivers Commission is also discussing the issues of water management of 54 rivers that the two neighbouring countries share.

"But we have been discussing the Teesta issue even from the highest political level. This time too I hope the prime minister will do it," he said. Teesta water is crucial for irrigation in the northern part of Bangladesh, especially during the lean period between December and April.

Bangladesh has been waiting since 2011 to get a Teesta water-sharing treaty signed. However, it did not happen due to opposition from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in 2011.

Meanwhile, a recent Indian parliamentary standing committee recommendation has made Bangladesh optimistic that the Teesta issue will be resolved soon.

The committee recommended India resolve the long-pending Teesta River water-sharing issue with Bangladesh "at the earliest" to improve bilateral ties and "initiate meaningful dialogues" for this.

The committee, in its report submitted to parliament, asked the Indian External Affairs Ministry "to initiate meaningful dialogues with Bangladesh on a regular basis to arrive at a consensus in the Teesta matter and the progress/outcome may be informed to the committee."

"This recommendation is significant since the standing committee comprises members of all political parties, including the BJP, Congress and Trinamool Congress," foreign ministry spokesperson Seheli Sabrin said last month. "It has raised hope," she said.

Read More