New Delhi: The Bangladesh government has placed another condition before India regarding Tarique Rahman’s proposed visit to Delhi. It is important to note that the demand to hand over Sheikh Hasina was already on the table; now Bangladesh has put forward a new demand that the Ganges Water Treaty should not simply be renewed but should be renegotiated from scratch.
In other words, Bangladesh wants a fresh agreement with India over the sharing of Ganges waters. The two countries signed an agreement on the sharing of Ganges waters in 1996, which is set to expire in December this year. Notably, Bangladesh is a lower riparian country and is asserting its rights over the sharing of Ganges waters.
It wants the 1996 agreement to be renegotiated rather than simply renewed. Bangladesh’s second condition is that Tarique Rahman will visit Delhi only if India assures it that Sheikh Hasina will not engage in “political activities” from Indian soil. Bangladesh has stated that these two issues are its most important concerns and that Tarique Rahman will visit Delhi in November this year only if India considers these demands.
Why Has Bangladesh Proposed a New Water Treaty?
- A high-level meeting was held in Dhaka regarding Tarique Rahman’s proposed visit, during which several issues were discussed on September 17
- Since then, senior diplomats from India and Bangladesh have remained in regular contact, as efforts continue to finalize Tarique Rahman’s visit.
- Bangladesh has appointed its Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam as its High Commissioner to New Delhi.
- He is expected to arrive in Delhi in the first week of November, following which Tarique Rahman’s visit may take place.
- Dhaka’s new demand on water comes as the 30-year term of the Ganges Water-Sharing Treaty is set to expire on December 12.
- Bangladesh now wants a new treaty rather than simply “extending” the existing arrangement.
- Dhaka argues that a new framework should better incorporate its needs as a lower-riparian country.
- Bangladesh minister Farhad Hossain Azad had said that Dhaka would seek a larger share of the Ganges waters, including stronger guarantees for water flows during the dry season.
However, for India, this is not simply a matter of renewing a bilateral agreement. Discussions have been held with relevant stakeholders in India, including West Bengal, regarding water requirements. Apart from the water issue, Dhaka is also seeking assurances from India regarding Sheikh Hasina, who is currently in India.
Bangladesh has objected to political activities and public statements by Sheikh Hasina and the Awami League from Indian soil. This is being viewed as a potential source of tension in relations between the two countries.
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