Zakir Hossain in Dhaka, Andalib Akhter in New Delhi
Bangladesh has begun preparations for a new agreement on sharing the waters of the Ganga, with the existing 30-year treaty set to expire in December, while India has indicated that the future of the arrangement and other water-related issues will continue to be addressed through the established bilateral mechanism of the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC).
The approaching expiry of the treaty has renewed attention in Dhaka over the country’s dry-season water requirements and its demand for what it considers a fair share of the river’s waters. Bangladesh says it has already informed New Delhi of its intention to negotiate a fresh arrangement and is now awaiting India’s response.
Speaking in Bangladesh Parliament on Thursday, August 27, Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman said Dhaka had constituted a team to prepare a new agreement after the present treaty expires. He was responding to a supplementary question from Bagerhat-4 MP Abdul Aleem.
“We are now waiting for their response,” Khalilur said, indicating that Bangladesh is ready to move towards formal negotiations with India on the future of the water-sharing framework.
The Ganga Water Sharing Treaty was signed by India and Bangladesh in December 1996 for a period of 30 years. It regulates the sharing of Ganga waters between the two countries during the dry season and is scheduled to expire in December 2026.
For Bangladesh, the issue carries significant economic, agricultural and environmental importance. The availability of river water during the dry months affects irrigation, agriculture, fisheries, navigation and the wider management of the country’s water resources. Dhaka has therefore been seeking an arrangement that it believes can adequately address its essential water requirements over the long term.
India, however, has pointed to existing bilateral mechanisms for addressing water-related concerns.
On August 21, Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said issues concerning the Ganga Water Sharing Treaty would be discussed through the bilateral Joint Rivers Commission. He noted that the 1996 treaty had been concluded for 30 years and said water- and river-related matters between the two countries formed part of the JRC’s agenda.
Jaiswal also said meetings of the Joint Committee established under the Ganga treaty were continuing at the technical level, suggesting that engagement between the two sides has remained in place even as the treaty approaches its expiry.
The immediate question is whether the existing technical discussions will now develop into broader political and diplomatic negotiations on a successor agreement.
Bangladesh has already signalled its preference for a new or revised treaty rather than simply allowing the existing framework to lapse. During the ninth Indian Ocean Conference in Mauritius, Khalilur had called for a new arrangement capable of meeting Bangladesh’s essential water needs.
“These are common rivers, and we have common legacies here, common interests,” he said, arguing that the two countries should seek a durable solution that could command public confidence and strengthen bilateral relations for the next “25 to 50 years”.
The Ganga is part of a wider network of rivers shared by India and Bangladesh, making water management a longstanding and sometimes sensitive component of bilateral relations. Both countries have repeatedly used institutional mechanisms, including the Joint Rivers Commission, to discuss issues involving their common river systems.
The expiry of the 1996 treaty therefore presents both a challenge and an opportunity. For Bangladesh, the priority is to secure a predictable and adequate flow of water during the dry season. For India, maintaining established bilateral mechanisms and addressing river-related matters through structured dialogue remain central to managing shared water resources.
With December approaching, the focus is increasingly shifting from technical discussions to the question of a future long-term framework. The timing, scope and format of formal negotiations will determine whether New Delhi and Dhaka can reach an agreement that addresses Bangladesh’s concerns while accommodating India’s interests.
The outcome could have implications well beyond the immediate question of dry-season water allocation. A mutually acceptable agreement on the Ganga could provide a broader foundation for cooperation on the management of shared rivers, climate-related water stress and sustainable development along the India-Bangladesh river system.
For now, Dhaka is waiting for New Delhi’s response to its proposal, while India continues to emphasise the role of the JRC and the existing bilateral institutional framework. With the treaty’s three-decade lifespan nearing its end, the next few months are likely to be crucial in determining the future of one of the most important water-sharing arrangements between the two neighbours.