Bangladesh to implement Teesta Master Plan ‘at any cost’, says PM Rahman after China visit

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Monday declared the Teesta Barrage Master Plan a national priority and announced it would be implemented "at any cost". He has secured Chinese support for the project.

Days after returning from his visit to Beijing, Rahman said that China assured him of its unwavering support “no matter how the world changes”.

While Rahman has pitched the China-backed Teesta project to improve river management, flood control, irrigation, and water connectivity in Bangladesh, China's stakes in the project have alarmed India for years, particularly as the project lies very close to the Siliguri Corridor, the narrow corridor that connects the Northeast India with the rest of the country, better known as 'chicken's neck'.

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Rahman said that the government aims to use the Padma Barrage to preserve surplus water during the monsoon so that it can be supplied to farmers and others throughout the dry months and the rest of the year.

"I have visited areas where there is water everywhere during the monsoon, yet farmers just a short distance away cannot irrigate their land because of water shortages," said Rahman, according to The Daily Star.

Teesta originates in Sikkim and enters Bangladesh from West Bengal to join Brahmaputra within the country. An agreement between India and Bangladesh for the sharing of Teesta waters has been pending for over 15 years. Previously, it was stalled because of opposition from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Following her ouster in assembly elections earlier this year, some observers say that the agreement could now see progress as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has formed the government in West Bengal.

'Bangladesh-China cooperation doesn't target any 3rd country'

In an apparent response to Indian concerns, China has said that the "cooperation does not target any third party".

During his visit to Beijing, Rahman met Chinese water resources minister Li Guoying and called for greater Chinese involvement in Bangladesh’s efforts to manage its rivers. The Teesta project was central to their discussions and the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said Li responded positively and promised cooperation in water-resources management and technical assistance.

"The Prime Minister in the meeting seeks the support of the Chinese government in Bangladesh’s water resources management by citing the ongoing river excavation programme in the country aimed at tackling flood risk, environmental protection and proper management of water resources. The Prime Minister expects technical support from the China government in Bangladesh’s Teesta management project," the PMO said in a statement.

As part of the project, said Rahman, the government plans to excavate and re-excavate 20,000 kilometres of canals over the next five years to improve water flow, irrigation, and flood management. He said that work has already begun around 900 kilometres has already been dug up over the past three months.