India’s resolution on Indus casts shadow on renewal of India-Bangladesh Ganga Water Treaty: Bangladesh water skilled

Prof. Aninun Nishat, a number one water useful resource and local weather change specialist in Dhaka. Photograph: Particular association

NEW DELHI India’s resolution to carry the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan ‘in abeyance’ has proved that India won’t hesitate to make use of water as a “weapon” in case political relations with frequent riparian neighbours nosedive, a number one water skilled of Bangladesh has remarked.

Chatting with The Hindu, Prof. Aninun Nishat, a number one water useful resource and local weather change specialist in Dhaka stated the choice to freeze the Indus Waters Treaty has “solid a shadow” on the prospects of renewal of the 1996 Ganga Waters Settlement.

“When Dhaka signed the Indo-Bangladesh Ganga Water Treaty, there have been doubts on our aspect on whether or not India would actually share Ganga’s waters as promised because the precise management of the river is with India. The Indus Waters Treaty is a giant treaty that was ratified by the Indian parliament. Critics right here can cite the choice on Indus and argue that India’s assurances on the Ganga equally has no worth,” stated Prof. Nishat who has been a part of a number of river-related discussions between India and Bangladesh.

The Indo-Bangladesh Ganga Water Treaty was signed on December 12, 1996 between Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina throughout what was the primary prime ministerial tenure of Sheikh Hasina. The treaty offers Bangladesh with a minimal stream of water throughout the lean seasons and it may be renewed with “mutual consent” after three a long time. Accordingly, the treaty will come up for renewal in 2026. “Renewal of the Ganga treaty will come up subsequent 12 months but when India continues to carry the Indus Waters Treaty in abeyance then it’ll create doubts about India’s willingness on sharing of river waters with Bangladesh,” stated Prof. Nishat.

The renewal of the Indo-Bangladesh Ganga Water Treaty has featured in official talks between the 2 on a number of events within the latest previous. The matter got here up in the course of the June 2024 India go to by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina which was her final state go to earlier than the rebellion of July-August 2024 that led to her flight from Bangladesh.

Subsequently, the interim authorities beneath Chief Advisor Prof. Mohammed Yunus has maintained the dialogue on Ganga. A gathering of the technical groups of the Joint Rivers Fee of India and Bangladesh was held in Kolkata on March 6, 2025 the place the principle topic of dialogue was the Indo-Bangladesh Ganga Water Treaty. The Bangladesh group additionally visited the joint commentary web site at Farakka on this event.

Prof. Nishat stated treaties are authorized paperwork and it’s typically understood that such paperwork would stay unaffected by political sentiments. “However within the case of Indus, it seems that the political sentiment can have an effect on the authorized doc,” stated Prof. Nishat hinting that India will not be averse to utilizing water as a “weapon” if political variations improve. “Aside from Ganga, Bangladesh additionally has the problem of the sharing of Teesta’s waters and Dhaka has agreed to China’s participation in administration of Teesta in Bangladesh,” the professor stated, explaining that political variations between Bangladesh and India have been rising in latest months.

Beneath the interim authorities  led by Prof. Yunus, which is in opposition to many initiatives of the Hasina period, Dhaka has warmed up its relations with China in addition to Pakistan. Final week, Pakistan and Bangladesh had a uncommon Overseas Secretary-level speak in Dhaka which was to be adopted by a go to of the Overseas Minister of Pakistan Ishaq Dar who has courted controversy by describing the terrorists answerable for the bloodbath in Pahalgam as “freedom fighters”. Mr. Dar’s go to to Dhaka has been cancelled in the interim in view of the prevailing India-Pak pressure.