Thousands in Bangladesh’s Chattogram held a massive rally demanding the implementation of the China-backed Teesta River Master Plan. However, experts say the plan involving Beijing, amid stalled water-sharing talks with India, could pose strategic risks for New Delhi due to its proximity to the sensitive Siliguri Corridor.
On the evening of October 19, hundreds of people formed a human chain near Chittagong University’s Shaheed Minar. They held placards and mashaal torches in their hands as they marched to the Minar. They demanded an immediate implementation of the Teesta Master Plan and Bangladesh’s “fair share” of Teesta water, reported news agency Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS).
Reportedly organised by students from Rangpur division, slogans were raised against water injustice and India’s alleged influence on Bangladesh’s water policies. Speakers said the Teesta plan could transform northern Bangladesh by boosting agriculture, creating jobs, and driving national growth.
The rally ended with a call to “protect national interests and ensure water justice for Teesta-dependent regions” in Bangladesh, reported the BSS.
The protest in Chattogram on Sunday came after a wave of torchlight rallies across Northern Bangladesh on Thursday evening, where thousands gathered in five districts of the Rangpur division demanding the immediate implementation of the Teesta River Master Plan, reported the Dhaka Tribune.
The Teesta Master Plan, backed by China, is being seen in Bangladesh as a workaround to the long-stalled Teesta water-sharing deal with India. Experts, meanwhile, view the plan with concern, especially due to its proximity to the strategic Chicken’s Neck and potential Chinese presence near the sensitive Siliguri Corridor, which is a 20-kilometre land route connecting the northeastern states to the rest of India.
WHY ARE TENSIONS RISING OVER TEESTA MASTER PLAN?
The demand now assumes importance because the Teesta Master Plan, a Chinese-backed initiative for river management, promises to address northern Bangladesh’s water scarcity amid stalled water-sharing talks with India. With the 1996 Ganga Water Sharing Treaty nearing its expiry in 2026, the urgency to implement the unilateral plan near the strategic Chicken’s Neck, with a third-party (China), the intense push for the plan’s implementation raises concerns of being detrimental to India’s water security and regional cooperation.
The Teesta River originates in the eastern Himalayas in the state of Sikkim, flows through West Bengal, and then enters Bangladesh, and joins the Brahmaputra (Jamuna). The river has long been at the centre of water-sharing negotiations between Bangladesh and India. Bangladesh alleges that during the lean season, when water levels are low, India restricts the flow of Teesta River water, causing severe shortages for agriculture and daily use. During the monsoon season, Bangladesh faces flooding and has demanded better management and equitable sharing to ensure sufficient water supply throughout the year.
However, a deal has not been reached yet between the two riparian states.
The protests across Bangladesh come months after its interim government chief, Muhammad Yunus, sought a 50-year river management master plan from Beijing in March, praising China as the “master of water management” and including the Teesta River in the proposal. In March after Yunus met Chinese President Xi Jinping, the joint statement issued said Bangladesh welcomed Chinese companies to participate in the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project (TRCMRP).
These protests also follow growing public pressure in Bangladesh, with many voices urging the government to move ahead with the Teesta Master Plan with Chinese cooperation. Bangladesh sought 6,700 crore taka in financial aid for the project’s first phase.
These protests also come amid growing public and political pressure in Bangladesh, with many urging the government to advance the Teesta Master Plan with Chinese support, especially as post-Hasina Dhaka has gravitated towards Beijing, and joined the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), whose de-facto chief and son of former PM Khaleda Zia, Tarique Rahman, had voiced support for the plan, was also said to be backing it.