Hope still alive for Teesta treaty, says Bangladesh minister

Bangladesh Shipping minister Shajahan Khan said that his country is hopeful about Teesta water sharing agreement with India. The minister was talking to reporters on the sidelines of the 'Inland Waterways Transport in Indian and Coastal Shipping Summit' held in Kolkata on Tuesday.

"We believe that the issues between the two nations regarding the sharing of Teesta water will be resolved. We are really hopeful about the Teesta water-sharing agreement," the Bangladesh Shipping minister said. The minister claimed that they have been demanding a water sharing agreement for a long time and they are hopeful of the outcome.

Recently, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had protested against the water sharing agreement, saying that the river had dried up and hence it could not be shared with Bangladesh. The people of the locality, she claimed, especially the farmers would be adversely affected by a water crisis if the agreement was implemented. However, Banerjee said that she would not object to sharing the waters of Torsa and Manshai rivers with Bangladesh.

"We are facing a lot of problems without the Teesta water sharing agreement. The alternative proposals need to be studied," the minister said.

Further, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, during her recent visit to India had said that Teesta water sharing was one of the most important issues that she wanted to discuss with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She also said the water sharing agreement would strengthen ties between the two nations. However, Khan said that no further communication had been forthcoming in this regard. "There has been no new development since the two prime ministers met each other in Delhi recently," the minister said. The minister, however, mentioned the long friendship between the two countries and India's contribution during the Bangladesh Liberation war.

"India is our friend. Both the countries are well connected to each other," he said.