Bangladesh’s efforts to secure a new Ganges Water Sharing Treaty with India could be undermined by a lack of coordination among government ministries, former officials and water diplomacy experts warned at a seminar in Dhaka.
They said fragmented policymaking and inadequate inter-ministerial coordination often prevent Bangladesh from taking a comprehensive approach to negotiations with India, potentially leaving important economic, trade and navigation interests outside the scope of bilateral discussions.
The issue was raised in the presence of Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee at a seminar titled “Rethinking Water Futures: Youth Leadership, Justice and Cooperation”, organised by the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS).
Former ambassador Mashfee Binte Shams said the lack of coordination among relevant ministries was weakening Bangladesh’s negotiating capacity with India.
She pointed to the Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade (PIWTT), under which cargo destined for one part of India can transit or be transshipped through Bangladesh to another part of the country.
Taking advantage of the water resources minister’s presence, she urged the government to incorporate river navigability and its economic implications into the ongoing negotiations over the Ganges treaty.
“Though PIWTT is dealt with by the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Shipping, because of a lack of inter-ministerial coordination and cooperation, we frequently see that multidimensional issues are missed out in our negotiations,” she said.
“I want to highlight that this coordination is the most important thing,” she added.
Shams urged the water resources ministry to consider navigability and the associated economic benefits as part of Bangladesh’s negotiating position with India.
“I hope when the water resources ministry negotiates with the Indian side, the navigability of the rivers and economic benefits should be one point,” she said.
A former member of the Joint Rivers Commission also stressed the need for a coordinated national strategy on water diplomacy.
He said a water cooperation strategy involved multiple layers of dialogue and required the participation of several government agencies and stakeholders.
“During my time when I was a member of JRC, I could not bring the foreign ministry and the water resources ministry together on this strategy,” he said.
Pointing to the presence of both the water resources minister and a senior foreign ministry official at the event, he urged them to work together to develop a comprehensive strategy.
“So our (water) minister is here, the director general from the foreign ministry is also here. So I request them to sit together and work on this strategy,” he said.
Dhaka seeks new Ganges treaty
The concerns over coordination come as Bangladesh seeks to conclude a new Ganges Water Sharing Treaty with India before the existing agreement expires on 12 December.
Water Resources Minister Anee expressed optimism that the two countries would be able to conclude a new agreement before the deadline, with Bangladesh seeking to restore a guarantee clause similar to the one included in the 1977 agreement.
“The 30-year tenure of this treaty expires on 12 December, 2026. At this point, we must enter into a new agreement before 12 December,” Anee said.
He said Bangladesh and India were continuing discussions through the Joint Rivers Commission and expressed hope that the negotiations would be completed before the treaty expires.
“Accordingly, both Bangladesh and India are working continuously through the Joint Rivers Commission. Based on these meetings, we are hopeful that the treaty will be concluded before 12 December 2026,” he said.
Anee said restoring the guarantee clause would be a key priority for Bangladesh.
The first Ganges water-sharing agreement between Bangladesh and India was signed in 1977 for five years and included a guarantee clause. The 1996 Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, signed for 30 years, did not contain such a provision.
“Our priority there will be to reinstate the ‘Guarantee Clause’ similar to the 1977 treaty,” Anee said.
He said a new long-term agreement incorporating such a clause would provide greater certainty over water sharing and help protect Bangladesh’s interests.
“Everyone agrees that by signing a new agreement, we can move forward for a longer term with the guarantee clause included,” he said.
Asked whether a ministerial-level meeting would take place before 12 December, Anee said the technical discussions needed to be completed first.
“The technical team of the JRC is already working. Once their work is completed, the remaining process will be concluded at the ministerial level,” he said.
The 1996 Ganges Water Sharing Treaty was signed by Bangladesh and India for a 30-year term and governs the sharing of Ganges water at Farakka during the dry season. It is due to expire on 12 December 2026.
The discussion at the BIISS seminar underscored that the renewal negotiations are not solely a water-sharing issue. River navigability, trade, transit, energy, agriculture and broader economic interests are interconnected with Bangladesh’s water diplomacy.
Experts therefore called for a coordinated negotiating position involving the Water Resources Ministry, Foreign Ministry and other relevant agencies so that Bangladesh’s broader interests are reflected in its engagement with India.
