Bangladesh has called for renewed dialogue with India to address long-running disputes over shared rivers, saying political will on both sides will be essential to finding a solution.
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humayun Kabir made the remarks on Thursday while speaking to reporters after a seminar on water cooperation. He said discussions were continuing on transboundary rivers as well as the future of the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty.
Kabir said the outstanding issues could only be resolved through negotiations and diplomacy, with both countries also taking international law into account.
According to Kabir, progress will depend on cooperation at several levels, including political leadership, senior government officials and negotiators.
He said Bangladesh had established a committee to examine its water-sharing concerns, while India was also reviewing the issues through its own institutional mechanisms.
“Discussions and dialogues are ongoing and will continue,” Kabir said, emphasising the importance of greater regional cooperation.
He added that an amicable settlement would be possible if the leadership of both countries approached the negotiations with a willingness to cooperate.
India and Bangladesh share 54 transboundary rivers, with the Joint Rivers Commission serving as a key mechanism for addressing water-related issues between the two countries.
The Teesta water-sharing dispute has remained unresolved for decades and continues to be one of the most sensitive issues in bilateral relations.
However, the Teesta negotiations are separate from the Ganges water-sharing agreement.
The Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, signed in 1996, was concluded for a 30-year period and is scheduled to expire in December 2026.
Bangladesh has previously indicated that it wants to pursue its water interests without allowing the disputes to damage relations with India.
In August, Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee said Bangladesh did not want bilateral ties to deteriorate because of the Teesta issue.
He said India had its own interests to protect, but Bangladesh also expected its concerns to be taken into consideration.
The latest comments from Kabir come as both countries review their approach to shared water resources ahead of the expiry of the Ganges treaty.
