Published : 19 May 2026, 06:18 AM
Updated : 21 Aug 2026, 03:45 PM
The approaching renewal of the Ganges water-sharing treaty between India and Bangladesh is emerging as an early diplomatic and political test for West Bengal’s newly elected BJP government, according to NDTV.
The 30-year agreement is due to expire in December 2026. Its renewal has again brought attention to one of the most sensitive issues in India-Bangladesh relations - the sharing of transboundary rivers that sustain millions of people on both sides of the border.
NDTV said New Delhi is already considering a short-term arrangement to replace the existing treaty.
Bangladesh, meanwhile, is preparing to reopen negotiations and seek terms it considers better suited to current environmental and political conditions.
The issue has gained added significance after the BJP’s victory in West Bengal. River-sharing agreements have long faced resistance from state leaders, who fear reduced water availability in parts of the state.
NDTV noted that the long-stalled Teesta water-sharing agreement had once come close to completion under former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh. But it was blocked at the final stage by then West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. She argued that districts in northern Bengal would face severe shortages if water allocations were reduced.
The BJP in Bengal had also opposed the proposal at the time on similar grounds.
Now the political equation has changed. The BJP is in power in West Bengal, with Suvendu Adhikari as chief minister.
NDTV said the shift could put pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s NDA government to decide whether to move forward with both the Ganges treaty renewal and the unresolved Teesta accord.
Dhaka appears to expect progress, the report said.
According to NDTV, the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) welcomed the BJP’s election victory in West Bengal. It also criticised the previous state administration for blocking the Teesta agreement.
Speaking to Indian media, BNP’s Information Secretary Azizul Baree Helal said relations would continue “in a positive way” under the BJP government.
He also expressed hope that Kolkata and New Delhi could now work “in step” on the long-pending deal.
The timing is sensitive. Border security, illegal immigration and infiltration have already become politically charged issues in India.
NDTV said any move by the BJP to advance river-sharing arrangements with Bangladesh would require careful balancing. The party would need to avoid alienating its support base in West Bengal while preserving strategic ties with Dhaka.
Under the current Ganges treaty, water at Farakka is shared according to seasonal availability. Emergency consultations are triggered during periods of severe shortage.
The 2011 draft Teesta agreement proposed allocating 42.5 percent of the river’s water to India and 37.5 percent to Bangladesh. The remaining share was to be reserved for ecological balance.
The deal has remained frozen since West Bengal objected to it at the final stage.
