Recently, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed a preference for India to undertake the $1 billion development project of the Teesta River to alleviate India’s national security concerns. Bloomberg reported on Monday that Hasina, at a press conference in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka on Sunday, told reporters, “China is ready, but I hope India will take on this project.”
Hasina added, “China has made a proposal to us and conducted a feasibility study. India has also proposed and will carry out a feasibility study. But I would lean more towards having India complete this work because India already controls the waters of the Teesta River.” This initiative, led by Bangladesh, aims to better manage the waters of the Teesta River. Both China and India are vying for influence in Bangladesh and are eager to get involved in this comprehensive management project.
The Teesta River flows from India into Bangladesh, spanning a total of 414 kilometers (257.25 miles). In June of this year, during Hasina’s visit to India, plans for development in the river basin played a crucial role in discussions between officials from both countries. India and Bangladesh share many rivers flowing into the Bay of Bengal from the Himalayas.
In 2011, the two countries reached an agreement on sharing the waters of the Teesta River. However, the agreement did not come into effect due to opposition from the Indian state of West Bengal in the east (through which the Teesta River flows before entering Bangladesh).
With India hesitating to resolve this issue, China proposed its own suggestions. Earlier this year, India put forward its proposal due to security concerns about Chinese engineers working near its borders.