Bankrupt Bangladesh plans to hurt India, involves Xi Jinping government in Teesta project, China will be now…, Muhammad Yunus to…

Teesta River originates in Sikkim, flows through the Himalayan state and parts of North Bengal for about 305 kilometers, and then enters Bangladesh.

Dhaka: In a major strategic move that can hurt India, the Muhammad Yunus-led Bangladesh government reportedly plans to include China in the Teesta project. Experts believe that the move can pose a serious threat to India’s security. According to The Telegraph, Bangladesh may involve China in the proposed multipurpose project for the conservation and management of the Teesta River. To build consensus on this, the Yunus administration has opted for public hearings.

It is important to note that the Teesta River originates in Sikkim, flows through the Himalayan state and parts of North Bengal for about 305 kilometers, and then enters Bangladesh. The Teesta project has always been a matter of dispute between the Indian and Bangladesh governments, but Sheikh Hasina’s government had kept China away from it.

The Telegraph, on Sunday, reported that the administration of the northern Bangladesh district of Rangpur held a public hearing in Kawaniya on “Tista Niye Koronio (What should be done with Tista).” “The Chinese government had previously created a master plan for the conservation and management of the river. We are in talks with them. They have requested two years’ time for this. We have agreed to give them two years, with the condition that the master plan should be prepared after consulting the people living on the banks of Tista,” Bangladeshi media quoted Syeda Rizwana Hasan during the hearing as saying. Syeda Rizwana Hasan is an advisor to Bangladesh’s Ministry of Environment, Forest, Climate Change, and Water Resources.

New Dispute Between India and Bangladesh Over Teesta

Additionally, another condition has been set for the Teesta project is that the entire project—costing approximately $1 billion—must be completed by December 2025. The project includes river dredging, the construction of reservoirs, a drainage system along the riverbanks, and the development of embankments and satellite townships on both sides of the Teesta.

There has been a long-standing dispute over the Teesta River’s water between the two countries, and the project has been stalled since 2011 due to opposition from West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. This is why China entered the region four years ago and put forward its proposal.

A Threat to India’s National Security?

According to The Telegraph report, river expert Tuhin Subhra Mandal, based in Balurghat, stated, “It is absolutely clear that Bangladesh’s interim government is paving the way for China’s involvement in this project, and the public hearing platform is being used as a means to achieve this.”

Meanwhile, a retired military officer residing in Siliguri expressed concerns that the decision to involve China in the Teesta-related project would be a major security concern. He pointed out that the location where the river enters Bangladesh from India (near Mekhliganj in Cooch Behar) is only about 100 kilometers away from the strategically important Siliguri Corridor.