Hasina prefers India for the Teesta mega project

India has held back the water of Teesta, so ‘if we have to recover it, the project should be conducted by them’, she tells the press

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina believes India should undertake the mega project for the conservation and management of the Teesta River in the Bangladesh part.

She responded to questions about India's proposal at a press conference organised on Sunday at the Ganabhaban about her just-concluded trip to China.

Hasina said, “We must undertake the Teesta project. China also made some proposals. They conducted a feasibility study. India has also made us an offer. India will conduct a feasibility study. After this is done, we will choose what is reasonable for us.”

Moments later, she spoke of her support for India’s proposal. “China is ready, but I want India to undertake it. If this project is done, India will continue to provide what is necessary for it. Alright? Let’s be clear, no secrets.”

The prime minister mentioned prioritising India's proposal because, “India has held back the water of Teesta, so if we have to recover it, they should conduct the project.

“They will conduct the project and provide what we need. This is diplomacy. There shouldn’t be any doubt here.”

Hasina mentioned that the Teesta project has been a long-term project, “As far as I remember, it was in the United Front election (1954), it was mentioned many times in the manifesto of the Awami League.”

During her visit to India this past June, New Delhi showed interest in joining the Teesta comprehensive plan.

As part of this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced in a joint press conference with Hasina that an Indian technical team would soon visit Bangladesh.

Previously, China had also expressed interest in this project and had submitted a proposal to Bangladesh.

Before the Sept 2011 visit of India's then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Dhaka, the water resource ministers of the two countries had agreed on the Teesta water-sharing agreement.

The long-awaited agreement was expected to be signed during the visit, but it was stalled due to opposition from Mamata Banerjee.

Although there were hopes for the Teesta agreement after Modi's BJP government came to power in India, Mamata's stance did not change.

Amid the ongoing delay in the Teesta water sharing agreement with India, the government undertook the ‘Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project’.

After forming the new government in January, during a meeting with Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud in Dhaka, Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen told journalists, "China is committed to the Teesta River project."

"If Bangladesh provides a project proposal, China will consider it and offer support. We will maintain our engagement with Bangladesh on this matter," he stated.

However, Hasina on Sunday said China would work on developing the southern region of Bangladesh.

"Our southern region is the most neglected, the other side of the Padma river. I have spoken to China about developing the southern region. It's a challenging area, and the tasks there are particularly difficult. There's a long-desired river route to Pirojpur, Pekutia, which China will also undertake."

"This will not require any money; they will take care of it. Therefore, I have divided the tasks, deciding who will do what, so that difficult tasks can be managed more easily. It's about maintaining friendship with everyone, not hostility."