The Parliamentary Standing Committee on the Ministry of Water Resources has recommended that Bangladesh’s national interests be given priority in any decision concerning the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty with India.
However, the government has yet to decide whether to renew the existing treaty or pursue a new agreement.
The issue was discussed at a meeting of the parliamentary committee at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban on Wednesday (14 October).
During the meeting, committee members sought clarification on whether the existing treaty would be extended or replaced with a new arrangement. The ministry informed the committee that no final decision had been made, although work on the matter was continuing.
The committee was also informed that construction work under the Padma Barrage Project could be inaugurated in February 2027.
As part of the project’s preparations, committee members are scheduled to visit Sujanagar in Pabna on 25 October. The committee also called for the speedy implementation of riverbank protection projects aimed at preventing erosion along the Brahmaputra and Jinjiram rivers in Jamalpur, as well as the left bank of the Jamuna River and the banks of the Old Brahmaputra and Alai rivers.
Other issues discussed included the re-excavation of the Barnoi River in Rajshahi and Natore, measures to address river pollution and encroachment, rehabilitation of polders along the Naf River in Ukhiya and Teknaf, and urgent maintenance and rehabilitation of the Ganges-Kobadak Irrigation Project.
Committee chairman Mohammad Shafiqul Haque Milon presided over the meeting.
Water Resources Minister Md Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee, State Minister Farhad Hossain Azad, A E Sultan Mahmud Babu, Mazharul Islam, Md Faridul Kabir Talukder, Md Izzat Ullah, Md Oli Ullah and Md Mashiur Rahman Khan attended the meeting.
The 30-year Ganges water-sharing agreement between Bangladesh and India, signed in 1996, is due to expire in December 2026.
However, the ministry’s latest briefing indicates that a final decision on its future remains pending.