Bangladesh and India to hold talks on Ganges water-sharing treaty on Tuesday

Dhaka and New Delhi are set to hold talks on Tuesday, 9 September, to review the Ganges River Water-Sharing Treaty, which is due to expire in December 2026.

A 10-member Bangladeshi delegation, led by Abul Hossen, a member of the Bangladesh-India Joint Rivers Commission, will travel to New Delhi on Monday to participate in the 88th meeting of the commission.

The treaty, signed in 1996, regulates the sharing of water from the Ganges River at the Farakka Barrage. According to Abul Hossen, the meeting will primarily focus on assessing how the treaty has been implemented.

“Representatives from both countries remain at the Farakka Barrage from January to May, measuring water four times daily. They calculate the water each country receives based on a 10-day average. These issues are the main focus of the discussions,” he said.

Hossen also noted that Bangladesh faces water shortages during the dry season, which affects the Gorai River and the Sundarbans.

For the treaty’s renewal, Bangladesh plans to request an average of 40,000 cubic feet per second (cusecs) of water and hopes to negotiate a longer-term agreement.

“Formal talks on these demands have not yet started, as it is a decision to be made by the government,” Hossen said. He added that the commission has prepared its position and is aware of India’s potential stance.

The talks are expected to play a critical role in managing water resources between the two countries in the coming years.