Dr. Vikas Shukla, Kanpur
After the change of power in Bangladesh, there was hope that its relations with India would be back on track. This hope was strengthened when Bangladesh Prime Minister Tariq Rahman himself had indicated this and reversed the anti-India decisions of Mohammad Yunus, who became the Chief Advisor after the removal of Sheikh Hasina from power, but now such actions are taking place there, which are enough to show that Bangladesh is not going to give up its anti-India attitude. His anti-India attitude was visible regarding the Teesta water agreement.
The biggest obstacle in implementing the Teesta water agreement was the then Chief Minister of Bengal Mamata Banerjee. Now his rule is over. The rulers of Bangladesh are also hopeful that the new BJP led government will help in implementing this agreement, but without any delay this neighbor sought help from China.
Teesta River originates from the Eastern Himalayas and enters Bangladesh via Sikkim and West Bengal and merges with the Brahmaputra River. It has the status of being the fourth largest river of Bangladesh. It is considered the main source of livelihood for millions of farmers there. An agreement was signed between India and Bangladesh in 1983. Under this agreement, India got 39 percent water and Bangladesh got 36 percent water, while the two countries could not decide the distribution of the remaining 25 percent water.
In 2011, on the initiative of the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a draft of a new treaty was prepared with Bangladesh. In this proposal, it was decided that between December and March, India would get 42.5 percent water and Bangladesh would get 37.5 percent water. Bangladesh had also agreed to implement this agreement, but the Mamata Banerjee government of West Bengal strongly opposed it. As a result it could not be implemented. Now Mamata Banerjee government has left West Bengal and a new government has been formed under the leadership of Suvendu Adhikari.
With Bangladesh congratulating the BJP on its victory, it was hoped that the new government would soon help in implementing the agreement, but without waiting, the neighbor came to China’s side and formally sought China’s support for the Teesta River Revival Project. From this it is believed that Bangladesh Prime Minister Tariq Rahman is also following the path of his mother Begum Khaleda Zia. As long as Khaleda Zia was the Prime Minister, she continued to take an anti-India stance. He had good relations with China and Pakistan.
The leaders of Bangladesh still regret that India gave asylum to former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. They want Hasina to be handed over to Bangladesh, but India is not ready for this. This is the reason why whenever they get an opportunity, the ministers or officials of Bangladesh are not missing out on strengthening their relations with China and Pakistan.
Recently, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman held a meeting with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussed the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Revitalization Project. After this meeting, China got an opportunity to counterattack India. Wang said the government will also encourage Chinese companies to invest in Bangladesh. His announcement is going to increase India’s concern. (These are the personal views of the author)
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