The relationship between Bangladesh and India is considered one of the most important bilateral relations in South Asia. Since the war of independence, the two countries have cooperated in trade, security and connectivity. But one of the most sensitive and long-standing unresolved issues in this relationship is the sharing of the Teesta river water.
The Teesta river is very important for agriculture, livelihoods and the environment in northern Bangladesh. The river enters Bangladesh through Sikkim and West Bengal in India. For a long time, Bangladesh has been complaining about not getting its fair share of water during the dry season. As a result, millions of farmers in the Rangpur division are facing an irrigation crisis, reduced crop production and economic losses.
Although there was a possibility of signing the Teesta agreement between India and Bangladesh in 2011, it was not implemented due to objections from the West Bengal government. Even though more than a decade has passed since then, the agreement is still pending. The question arises – is this just a water distribution issue, or is there a larger geopolitical reality at work behind it?
In current international politics, rivers and water resources are not just environmental resources; they are also part of strategic power. As an upstream state, India maintains significant control over the Teesta. Being positioned downstream, Bangladesh finds itself at the receiving end of India’s water management policies. This unequal position has created a power imbalance in the relationship between the two countries.
Another important dimension to the Teesta issue is China’s interest. China’s investment proposal for the Teesta River Management and Restoration Project in Bangladesh has sparked new discussions in the geopolitics of South Asia. India sees China’s growing influence in the region as a strategic challenge. As a result, the Teesta is not limited to the issue of water distribution; it has also become a site of regional influence and competition.
The biggest challenge for Bangladesh is to maintain a balance between national interests and diplomatic balance. On the one hand, it is important to maintain good relations with India, while on the other hand, it is equally important to protect the country’s agricultural, food security and environmental interests. Therefore, a solution to the Teesta problem should be sought through information-based and pragmatic diplomacy, not emotion.
In this regard, it is necessary to make the Joint River Commission more effective, increase the exchange of information on river flow, strengthen scientific research-based water management and regional cooperation frameworks. Lessons can also be learned from successful examples of international river management. Water is gradually becoming a strategic resource in the world. There is a danger that the water crisis will intensify due to climate change. In this reality, the solution to the Teesta problem is important not only for the bilateral relations between Bangladesh and India, but also for the regional stability of South Asia.
The protracted dispute over the Teesta is frustrating the expectations of the people of the two countries. A true assessment of friendly relations is possible only when this long-standing unresolved problem is resolved sustainably based on mutual trust and fairness. The need of the hour is not to deny the geopolitical reality that lies behind diplomacy, but rather to find a solution from a pragmatic perspective.
The writer is a Student, Department of International Relations, Jahangirnagar University
