Mohammad Amjad Hossain :
The ongoing visit to India by Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 7 April for 3 days at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister has created tension because of proposed signing of defense pact with India without signing Teesta and Feni River water sharing treaty. Sharing of waters from both rivers has become priority for survival of lower riparian Bangladesh.
It is worthwhile to mention that BJP government of Narendra Modi decided to implement land boundary agreement with Bangladesh which was signed by both leaders of Bangladesh and India in 1974 but BJP objected to ratifying the treaty when Congress led government of Dr. Manmohan Singh proposed in the Parliament. When came to power the BJP government changed volte face in view of China’s aggressive trend in North-Eastern part of India in particular. China went to such an extent demanding huge chunk of territory in Arunachal Pradesh of India. China also objected visit by Narendra Modi to Arunachal Pradesh in February of 2015. This being the scenario on India-China border, India was desperate to reach to landlocked North-Eastern part of India through Bangladesh territory. Having ratified land boundary agreement BJP government has sought help of Bangladesh government to have corridor through Bangladesh to reach landlocked seven Pradesh of India in North-Eastern part. During the visit of Indian Premier to Bangladesh in June of 2015 two sides signed 22 agreements including cooperation in maritime safety and to curb human trafficking while India offered a fresh line of credit $ 2 billion. Another significant agreement signed with India which allows Indian cargo vessels to use Mongla and Chittagong ports. India is under the impression that Chittagong port was developed by China and China has been eyeing developing deep sea port in Sondia off Coxe’s Bazar as a part of “Chinese string of Pearls”, according to the Times of India. The project of construction of deep sea port possibly has been shelved because of pressure from India and USA.
Meanwhile, power project of 726 MW gas based combined was established in Tripura which would ease power shortage in seven landlocked Indian Pradesh, including Arunachal. The government of Bangladesh helped to carry over dimensional and large sized turbines and machines using Bangladesh’s waterways and roads. Bangladesh was offered a $ two billion credit for reconstruction of roads from Akhaura in Comilla to Tripura in India.
Possibly Indian government apparently get nervous of recent delivery of two submarines to Navy of Bangladesh by China at a cost two hundred three million to strengthen naval base in Chittagong. Relations with China has been strengthened further with Bangladesh during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jing Ping in 30 years in October of 2016. This time as many as 21 agreements amounting to $40 billion investment in Bangladesh were signed. Chinese news media described the visit as a “diplomatic milestone of historic significance”.
During this visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister India is expected to sign a number of MOU including defense cooperation, apart from $ 5 billion credit line for infrastructure projects, hydro project in Bhutan to supply electricity to Bangladesh, shipbuilding and upgrading border projects. $ 940 million will go to Ruppur nuclear power plant.
Greeting Bangladesh’s independence day this year Indian Premier Narendra Modi has assured Bangladesh that “India should stand behind as strong friend towards Bangladesh working together for peace, security and progress in the region” while during his visit to Bangladesh in June 2015 Indian premier assured Bangladesh that water sharing was a human issue should be translated into action. These are indeed good diplomatic remarks but there is hardly any sign on Indian side to implement such rhetoric into action. By now almost two years about to be elapsed.
According to BBC, Indian Irrigation Minister plans to transfer water from the Ganges and the Brahmaputra to drought prone areas in India who is on record by saying” interlinking of rivers is our prime agenda and we have got people’s support and I am determined to do it on the first track.” If this project is carried out there will be disaster in Bangladesh. Meanwhile, India diverted waters from many international rivers towards upstream which has left an impact on the ecology of Bangladesh adversely. Change water flows on the upper riparian in India affects ecology, hydraulic character of rivers in Bangladesh.
Water issue is one of major bilateral problems between Bangladesh and India since inception of Bangladesh. Construction and implement of baragge on the Ganges river in Murshidabad has caused serious problem to lower riparian river: Padma which has become almost Dead River. Brahmaputra on Bangladesh side Known as Jamuna is almost dead indeed whereas Brahmaputra in Guwahati in India is brimming with waters as this writer saw during his short visit to Guwahati from Kolkata in 2009.
India which claims a friend of Bangladesh should respect and honor of lower riparian country of Bangladesh sharing waters from transboundary rivers. There are plenty of international treaties and agreement to share waters from transboundary rivers. Historically International treaty dates back to 2500 BC when two Sumerian city states of Lagash and Umma reached an agreement ending water sharing dispute along the Tigris river which is 1,740 miles long at north west bottleneck of Baghdad of present Iraq. According to FAO, more than 3600 treaties related to international water resources had been concluded since 805 AD. Of them recent treaty between Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam formation of Mekong River Commission in 1957 for cooperation with water resources is significant. The Indus river commission between Pakistan and India sharing waters is another glaring example. A framework for the Nile river Basin was agreed in February of 1999 to fight poverty and develop economy in the region by promoting equitable sharing of water resources from common rivers.
The 1997 United nations convention on Non-Navigational uses of international water resources is one international instrument that significantly focuses on shared water resources. The convention established two key elements to guide the conduct of nations sharing water resources from common rivers: equitable and reasonable use and the obligation not to cause significant harm to neighbors.
If BJP government goes ahead of implementing their pet project as indicated by Water resources Minister of India, it would have an devastating effect on Bangladesh. Therefore, Bangladesh government would left with fait accompli situation. Therefore, it is high time that government of Bangladesh should consider internationalize the issue sooner than better as they did in connection of resolving long dispute of demarcation of maritime boundary at arbitration court.
It is understood that leaders and policy makers in India agree that Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh has gone beyond the extra mile possible to improve relations with India. Reciprocity needs to be required to maintain friendly relations with neighbors.
(Mohammad Amjad Hossain, a retived diplomat, writers from Virginia)
The ongoing visit to India by Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 7 April for 3 days at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister has created tension because of proposed signing of defense pact with India without signing Teesta and Feni River water sharing treaty. Sharing of waters from both rivers has become priority for survival of lower riparian Bangladesh.
It is worthwhile to mention that BJP government of Narendra Modi decided to implement land boundary agreement with Bangladesh which was signed by both leaders of Bangladesh and India in 1974 but BJP objected to ratifying the treaty when Congress led government of Dr. Manmohan Singh proposed in the Parliament. When came to power the BJP government changed volte face in view of China’s aggressive trend in North-Eastern part of India in particular. China went to such an extent demanding huge chunk of territory in Arunachal Pradesh of India. China also objected visit by Narendra Modi to Arunachal Pradesh in February of 2015. This being the scenario on India-China border, India was desperate to reach to landlocked North-Eastern part of India through Bangladesh territory. Having ratified land boundary agreement BJP government has sought help of Bangladesh government to have corridor through Bangladesh to reach landlocked seven Pradesh of India in North-Eastern part. During the visit of Indian Premier to Bangladesh in June of 2015 two sides signed 22 agreements including cooperation in maritime safety and to curb human trafficking while India offered a fresh line of credit $ 2 billion. Another significant agreement signed with India which allows Indian cargo vessels to use Mongla and Chittagong ports. India is under the impression that Chittagong port was developed by China and China has been eyeing developing deep sea port in Sondia off Coxe’s Bazar as a part of “Chinese string of Pearls”, according to the Times of India. The project of construction of deep sea port possibly has been shelved because of pressure from India and USA.
Meanwhile, power project of 726 MW gas based combined was established in Tripura which would ease power shortage in seven landlocked Indian Pradesh, including Arunachal. The government of Bangladesh helped to carry over dimensional and large sized turbines and machines using Bangladesh’s waterways and roads. Bangladesh was offered a $ two billion credit for reconstruction of roads from Akhaura in Comilla to Tripura in India.
Possibly Indian government apparently get nervous of recent delivery of two submarines to Navy of Bangladesh by China at a cost two hundred three million to strengthen naval base in Chittagong. Relations with China has been strengthened further with Bangladesh during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jing Ping in 30 years in October of 2016. This time as many as 21 agreements amounting to $40 billion investment in Bangladesh were signed. Chinese news media described the visit as a “diplomatic milestone of historic significance”.
During this visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister India is expected to sign a number of MOU including defense cooperation, apart from $ 5 billion credit line for infrastructure projects, hydro project in Bhutan to supply electricity to Bangladesh, shipbuilding and upgrading border projects. $ 940 million will go to Ruppur nuclear power plant.
Greeting Bangladesh’s independence day this year Indian Premier Narendra Modi has assured Bangladesh that “India should stand behind as strong friend towards Bangladesh working together for peace, security and progress in the region” while during his visit to Bangladesh in June 2015 Indian premier assured Bangladesh that water sharing was a human issue should be translated into action. These are indeed good diplomatic remarks but there is hardly any sign on Indian side to implement such rhetoric into action. By now almost two years about to be elapsed.
According to BBC, Indian Irrigation Minister plans to transfer water from the Ganges and the Brahmaputra to drought prone areas in India who is on record by saying” interlinking of rivers is our prime agenda and we have got people’s support and I am determined to do it on the first track.” If this project is carried out there will be disaster in Bangladesh. Meanwhile, India diverted waters from many international rivers towards upstream which has left an impact on the ecology of Bangladesh adversely. Change water flows on the upper riparian in India affects ecology, hydraulic character of rivers in Bangladesh.
Water issue is one of major bilateral problems between Bangladesh and India since inception of Bangladesh. Construction and implement of baragge on the Ganges river in Murshidabad has caused serious problem to lower riparian river: Padma which has become almost Dead River. Brahmaputra on Bangladesh side Known as Jamuna is almost dead indeed whereas Brahmaputra in Guwahati in India is brimming with waters as this writer saw during his short visit to Guwahati from Kolkata in 2009.
India which claims a friend of Bangladesh should respect and honor of lower riparian country of Bangladesh sharing waters from transboundary rivers. There are plenty of international treaties and agreement to share waters from transboundary rivers. Historically International treaty dates back to 2500 BC when two Sumerian city states of Lagash and Umma reached an agreement ending water sharing dispute along the Tigris river which is 1,740 miles long at north west bottleneck of Baghdad of present Iraq. According to FAO, more than 3600 treaties related to international water resources had been concluded since 805 AD. Of them recent treaty between Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam formation of Mekong River Commission in 1957 for cooperation with water resources is significant. The Indus river commission between Pakistan and India sharing waters is another glaring example. A framework for the Nile river Basin was agreed in February of 1999 to fight poverty and develop economy in the region by promoting equitable sharing of water resources from common rivers.
The 1997 United nations convention on Non-Navigational uses of international water resources is one international instrument that significantly focuses on shared water resources. The convention established two key elements to guide the conduct of nations sharing water resources from common rivers: equitable and reasonable use and the obligation not to cause significant harm to neighbors.
If BJP government goes ahead of implementing their pet project as indicated by Water resources Minister of India, it would have an devastating effect on Bangladesh. Therefore, Bangladesh government would left with fait accompli situation. Therefore, it is high time that government of Bangladesh should consider internationalize the issue sooner than better as they did in connection of resolving long dispute of demarcation of maritime boundary at arbitration court.
It is understood that leaders and policy makers in India agree that Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh has gone beyond the extra mile possible to improve relations with India. Reciprocity needs to be required to maintain friendly relations with neighbors.
(Mohammad Amjad Hossain, a retived diplomat, writers from Virginia)
