[🇧🇩] India's Water Terrorism Against Bangladesh

[Saif]

Thousands cry out for Teesta protection

Thousands of people from different northwestern districts on Tuesday, the final day of the 48-hour sit-in programme, gathered on the bank of Teesta in Lalmonirhat demanding a fair share of Teesta’s water and the implementation of the Teesta Master Plan.

www.newagebd.net

Thousands cry out for Teesta protection
Zakir Hossain . Rangpur 18 February, 2025, 23:18

Protesters in their thousands stages protests descending the Teesta River, demanding the implementation of the Teesta Master Plan and a fair share of water, holding placards, near the Teesta railway bridge in Lalmonirhat and Rangpur on Tuesday. | Focus Bangla photo

Tarique accuses India of ignoring int’l norms

Thousands of people from different northwestern districts on Tuesday, the final day of the 48-hour sit-in programme, gathered on the bank of Teesta in Lalmonirhat demanding a fair share of Teesta’s water and the implementation of the Teesta Master Plan.

The demonstrators, mostly those affected by the drying up of the Teesta and its erosion, carried banners, posters, and placards reading the movement’s slogan ‘Jago Bahe, Teesta Bachai’ (Rise up, save the Teesta).

India is blamed for the arbitrary withdrawal of water upstream across the border and it is slowly but steadily killing the Teesta in Bangladesh.

Many of the protesters set up makeshift sleeping areas on the Teesta’s sandy banks, bringing quilts, blankets, and utensils for the 48-hour sit-in. They spent the night following Monday in tents as a symbolic act of protest.

Addressing the concluding ceremony of the sit-in programme organised by the Teesta River Protection Movement Committee at the Teesta Railway Bridge point in Lalmonirhat, Bangladesh Nationalist Party acting chairman Tarique Rahman on Tuesday accused India of failing to uphold international rules and behaving ‘unneighbourly’ towards Bangladesh regarding the long-standing Teesta water-sharing issue and other bilateral matters.

‘India has given nothing to Bangladesh and its people except sheltering a dictator who fled the country amid a mass uprising on August 5,’ he said.

If India delays to ensure the fair share of Teesta water, all possible domestic and international options should be explored to secure Bangladesh’s share of water, he said.

Tarique said that engaging with global platforms, including the United Nations, could help amplify the country’s position on the issue.

The BNP leader said that, alongside international efforts, there was no alternative to implementing the Teesta Master Plan to protect the northern region from desertification.

‘If the BNP is entrusted with governing the state with public support, we will prioritise and take all necessary steps to implement the Teesta Master Plan,’ Tarique said.

He said that the people of the country want to reconsider all the inequitable agreements, including the one over transshipment facilities, signed with the neighbouring country.

Tarique said that Hasina had remained in power through vote rigging and had positioned herself as a servant to India to remain in power.

‘Friendship with all and malice towards none is the fundamental slogan of our foreign policy. However, it is time to reconsider this principle based on current realities,’ he said.

He said that true friendship should not come at the cost of human lives, as the people of Bangladesh can no longer bear the sight of tragic incidents like Felani’s death or the loss of innocent lives along the border.

Tarique also said that the advisors of the interim government had been making various statements regarding the national elections, which was creating space for the fallen fascists.

He said that the BNP had repeatedly called on the interim government to announce a clear roadmap for the upcoming national election.

A march was also held on Tuesday.

The march began at about 11:30am, covering approximately four kilometres from the Lalmonirhat end of the Teesta Bridge to Kaunia in Rangpur, drawing a vast crowd.

People from all walks of life, including BNP leaders, activists, and local residents, joined the march. They chanted slogan ‘Jago Bahe, Teesta Bachai’ (Rise up, save the Teesta).

On Tuesday, the Teesta Protection Movement Committee held rallies, processions, and cultural performances at 11 locations across Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha, Nilphamari, and Kurigram.

Protesters engaged in traditional music, dance, and sporting events to highlight their cause.

By morning, large crowds gathered along Teesta riverbanks.

Aliur Rhaman, 55, a farmer from Dhusmara Char of Kawnia upazila who joined the rally said that they joined the programme on Monday morning. Hundreds of farmers and people, who live on the river basin in the upazila lost their lands and livelihood due to water aggression of India, the protesters said.

They have joined the rally and stayed on the shoal between Monday morning and Tuesday evening to raise their voice against the deprivation and discrimination.

BNP organising secretary and Lalmonirhat district BNP president Asadul Habib Dulu led the mass rally as the chief coordinator. He chaired the event.​

 

[Saif]

China wants Bangladesh to start Teesta project early

Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen on Tuesday said that China was aware of the hardship of people living on the Teesta banks and wanted the planned development project on the trans-boundary river to start soon.

www.newagebd.net

China wants early start of Teesta project
Staff Correspondent 18 February, 2025, 23:47

File photo

Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen on Tuesday said that China was aware of the hardship of people living on the Teesta banks and wanted the planned development project on the trans-boundary river to start soon.

Addressing a media briefing at the Chinese embassy in Dhaka, he said China was ready to provide assistance in the implementation of the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project, which was hanging in balance as India showed its willingness to support the same during the Sheikh Hasina government in the past year.

He said that China was willing to implement the Teesta project in phases under the government-to-government cooperation and offered to begin the project with flood protection work in 2021.

‘We did not get any feedback yet to implement the Teesta project under the G-to-G cooperation,’ the Chinese envoy said.

Responding to a question, Yao Wen said that China was awaiting response from the Bangladesh side regarding the implementation of the project over the River Teesta flowing through the country’s northern districts from upper riparian India.

‘We are ready to provide assistance in the implementation of the project,’ he said.

When his attention was drawn to the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s two-day ‘Teesta River protection movement’ in Rangpur division ending on the day, the Chinese ambassador said that they were aware of the hardship of the people living on the Teesta banks.

‘We want the project start soon—either by China or by Bangladesh herself…It’s Bangladesh’s project,’ Yao Wen said.

Sharing the outcomes of Bangladesh foreign adviser Md Touhid Hossain’s recent visit to China, the Chinese ambassador said that China was awaiting a specific proposal for establishing a hospital in Dhaka while the first group of patients from Bangladesh would leave for Kunming this month before Ramadan where three top ranking hospitals were already dedicated for Bangladesh.

He said that travel agencies concerned would offer ‘package service’ incorporating visa processing and all other costs.

Asked about Bangladesh’s request for lowering interest rate for Chinese loans, he said that their interest rate was not more than 2–3 per cent and the rate was universal. ‘China does not attach any conditions,’ he said, adding that it was also cost-effective.

Regarding China’s position on Rohingya crisis at present as international funds for the displaced people sheltered in Bangladesh was diminishing, Yao Wen said that China would continue to help in repatriation of the Rohingyas to their homeland Myanmar.

He said that Touhid Hossain’s bilateral talks during the official visit to China in January was the first high-level meeting, effectively advancing the relations between the two countries after the interim government led by Professor Muhammad Yunus took over following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina on August 5.

During the regime of deposed prime minister Sheikh Hasina, India in May past year expressed its willingness to support a mega development project on the Teesta inside Bangladesh, where China had already shown its interest and completed a survey there, which led the negotiation to a stalemate.

Later in June 2024, India announced that it would send a technical team to Bangladesh to discuss ‘conservation and management of the Teesta River in Bangladesh’ as the bilateral talks between Hasina and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, then her Indian counterpart, ended in New Delhi without any breakthrough in the long pending water sharing deal on the common river.

New Delhi has long been foot-dragging on the Teesta water-sharing treaty with Dhaka, adversely affecting the lives and livelihoods of the people in the Rangpur region.

Originating in Sikkim in India and entering Bangladesh through Lalmonirhat, the 315-kilometre-long Teesta travels more than 150 kilometres through half a dozen other districts, including Rangpur, Gaibandha, Nilphamari and Kurigram, before merging with the River Jamuna at Fulchhari.​

 

[Cryptonian]

The guy who wrote the comment doesn't understand the difference between states within the country and inter country relations.

Nope. You should learn more about the topic.

Teesta Water Sharing Agreement - An Obstacle in the India-Bangladesh Bilateral Relationship

Teesta water dispute has been going on for many decades. Successive Governments were unable to strike a final deal on the water-sharing agreement. Half-a dozen districts of West Bengal and more than 70% of the population in Bangladesh is dependent on Teesta river. For UPSC 2023 preparation...

byjus.com

1. Teesta is a 414 km long river flowing from India to the Bay of Bengal through Bangladesh. Almost half a dozen districts in West Bengal is dependent on this river.
2. Teesta river provides livelihood to approximately 73% of Bangladesh population as per a report furnished by Asia Foundation in 2013.
3. In 1983 a deal was proposed for equitable sharing but the implementation hit a roadblock. The mean annual flow of the river is 60 billion cubic metres. A significant amount of it flows during the monsoon season i.e. between June to September. During lean season i.e. from October to May, the flow is only 500 million cubic metres per month.
4. In the month from December to March, Bangladesh wants 50% of the water supply, whereas India has claimed a share of 55%.
5. In 2011, the agreement did not fructify due to objections from West Bengal Chief Minister. As per the constitution of India, Water is a state subject and approval of all the stakeholders is required for the deal to go ahead.
6. In 2019 External Affairs Minister of India had a meeting with his Bangladesh counterparts and they were still unable to reach a consensus on the water-sharing agreement.

 

[Cryptonian]

Nope. You should learn more about the topic.

Teesta Water Sharing Agreement - An Obstacle in the India-Bangladesh Bilateral Relationship

Teesta water dispute has been going on for many decades. Successive Governments were unable to strike a final deal on the water-sharing agreement. Half-a dozen districts of West Bengal and more than 70% of the population in Bangladesh is dependent on Teesta river. For UPSC 2023 preparation...

byjus.com

1. Teesta is a 414 km long river flowing from India to the Bay of Bengal through Bangladesh. Almost half a dozen districts in West Bengal is dependent on this river.
2. Teesta river provides livelihood to approximately 73% of Bangladesh population as per a report furnished by Asia Foundation in 2013.
3. In 1983 a deal was proposed for equitable sharing but the implementation hit a roadblock. The mean annual flow of the river is 60 billion cubic metres. A significant amount of it flows during the monsoon season i.e. between June to September. During lean season i.e. from October to May, the flow is only 500 million cubic metres per month.
4. In the month from December to March, Bangladesh wants 50% of the water supply, whereas India has claimed a share of 55%.
5. In 2011, the agreement did not fructify due to objections from West Bengal Chief Minister. As per the constitution of India, Water is a state subject and approval of all the stakeholders is required for the deal to go ahead.
6. In 2019 External Affairs Minister of India had a meeting with his Bangladesh counterparts and they were still unable to reach a consensus on the water-sharing agreement.

@Saif must read above part

Mamata stalls Teesta water sharing agreement yet again | India News - Times of India

India News: It is unlikely that Sheikh Hasina will get India to sign the Teesta water sharing treaty during her present tenure as the prime minister of Bangladesh

timesofindia.indiatimes.com

 

[Krishna with Flute]

Nope. You should learn more about the topic.

Teesta Water Sharing Agreement - An Obstacle in the India-Bangladesh Bilateral Relationship

Teesta water dispute has been going on for many decades. Successive Governments were unable to strike a final deal on the water-sharing agreement. Half-a dozen districts of West Bengal and more than 70% of the population in Bangladesh is dependent on Teesta river. For UPSC 2023 preparation...

byjus.com

1. Teesta is a 414 km long river flowing from India to the Bay of Bengal through Bangladesh. Almost half a dozen districts in West Bengal is dependent on this river.
2. Teesta river provides livelihood to approximately 73% of Bangladesh population as per a report furnished by Asia Foundation in 2013.
3. In 1983 a deal was proposed for equitable sharing but the implementation hit a roadblock. The mean annual flow of the river is 60 billion cubic metres. A significant amount of it flows during the monsoon season i.e. between June to September. During lean season i.e. from October to May, the flow is only 500 million cubic metres per month.
4. In the month from December to March, Bangladesh wants 50% of the water supply, whereas India has claimed a share of 55%.
5. In 2011, the agreement did not fructify due to objections from West Bengal Chief Minister. As per the constitution of India, Water is a state subject and approval of all the stakeholders is required for the deal to go ahead.
6. In 2019 External Affairs Minister of India had a meeting with his Bangladesh counterparts and they were still unable to reach a consensus on the water-sharing agreement.

I have explained everything in detail in my various post. Read it before passing on judgement.

 

[Krishna with Flute]

China controls most of India's main rivers through Tibet. Can China pull its leverage on India too?

The rivers which originates from Tibet has little catchment area in Tibet. More than 80% waters comes from Indian catchment area.

 

[Krishna with Flute]

Nope. You should learn more about the topic.

Teesta Water Sharing Agreement - An Obstacle in the India-Bangladesh Bilateral Relationship

Teesta water dispute has been going on for many decades. Successive Governments were unable to strike a final deal on the water-sharing agreement. Half-a dozen districts of West Bengal and more than 70% of the population in Bangladesh is dependent on Teesta river. For UPSC 2023 preparation...

byjus.com

1. Teesta is a 414 km long river flowing from India to the Bay of Bengal through Bangladesh. Almost half a dozen districts in West Bengal is dependent on this river.
2. Teesta river provides livelihood to approximately 73% of Bangladesh population as per a report furnished by Asia Foundation in 2013.
3. In 1983 a deal was proposed for equitable sharing but the implementation hit a roadblock. The mean annual flow of the river is 60 billion cubic metres. A significant amount of it flows during the monsoon season i.e. between June to September. During lean season i.e. from October to May, the flow is only 500 million cubic metres per month.
4. In the month from December to March, Bangladesh wants 50% of the water supply, whereas India has claimed a share of 55%.
5. In 2011, the agreement did not fructify due to objections from West Bengal Chief Minister. As per the constitution of India, Water is a state subject and approval of all the stakeholders is required for the deal to go ahead.
6. In 2019 External Affairs Minister of India had a meeting with his Bangladesh counterparts and they were still unable to reach a consensus on the water-sharing agreement.

Any state government will show its concerns but it is ultimately between two nations to come to an agreement. State government may have its say but the ultimate power will be with central government.

 

[Krishna with Flute]

Mentioning that not only Teesta, rather, India built dams in the upstreams of 54 transboundary rivers, Mirza Fakhrul said, “India generates electricity by withdrawing water through dams, but our farmers could not produce grains due to lack of water, our fishermen could not catch fish in the river. All the people living along the riverbank have been facing this unbearable situation. That is why this call to save Teesta River is a call from our heart.”

Which dam has India build over Ganges. tell me the name of dam. I want to increase my knowledge. So far as I know, India uses Ganges as water way from Uttarakhand up to BD. There is no dam inbetween. If it is there, BD friends in add to my general knowledge.