Bangladesh hopes to sign new Ganges water-sharing deal before 12 Dec: Anee

Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee has expressed hope that Bangladesh will conclude a new Ganges water-sharing agreement with India before 12 December, when the existing 30-year treaty expires.

He made the remarks while responding to questions from journalists after a seminar at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) on Thursday.

The Ganges Water Sharing Treaty between Bangladesh and India was signed on 12 December 1996 for 30 years and is set to expire on 12 December this year.

Anee said restoring a “guarantee clause” similar to that in the 1977 agreement is one of Bangladesh’s key priorities in the new deal.

Bangladesh is also pressing for a longer-term agreement that includes such a guarantee clause, he said.

“The 1977 agreement, signed during the lifetime of President Ziaur Rahman, included a guarantee clause for the first five years. But when the agreement was renewed or a new deal was signed in 1996, the guarantee clause was dropped,” he said.

“We have to reach a new agreement before 12 December. Accordingly, Bangladesh and India are working continuously through the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC),” the minister said.

“Based on the meetings, we are hopeful that the agreement will be concluded before 12 December 2026. Our main priority will be to restore a guarantee clause similar to that in the 1977 agreement,” he added.