Teesta returns to political tide: How far will BNP push for mega project?
Thousands of people lit torches and demonstrated along the Teesta River on Thursday evening, demanding that work on the project begin by November, before the election schedule is announced
Highlights
- Fresh demand for Teesta mega project as thousands join torch-lit protest along the river
- BNP leaders say the movement for fair water distribution and Teesta project implementation will continue until work begins
- The Tk12,000 crore project aims to prevent floods and erosion, improve irrigation, and develop modern infrastructure along the river
- Environmentalists warn China's proposed design could harm the river's ecosystem, while activists from the region reject these claims
Amid tensions among political parties over the July Charter signing, the upcoming national election, and trials involving the Awami League and its allies, the demand for implementation of the Teesta mega project has again returned to the spotlight.
Thousands of people lit torches and demonstrated along the Teesta River on Thursday evening, demanding that work on the project begin by November, before the election schedule is announced.
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The demonstration, held under the slogan "Wake up, save Teesta", with BNP Rangpur divisional organisingsecretary and coordinator of the Teesta Protection Movement, Asadul Habib Dulu, attending as chief guest. Earlier in February, BNP had organised a continuous 48-hour programme on the same demand.
"Our movement is not new," Dulu told The Business Standard. "It has been going on for years with the participation of hundreds of thousands of people living by the Teesta river.
"The Teesta's water scarcity has created a crisis in the region, leaving people in unbearable conditions."
He further said, "We want fair water distribution and quick implementation of the Teesta mega project. We will continue our movement until the project begins."
The Teesta mega project
The Teesta project is a massive plan aimed at controlling floods, preventing erosion, and ensuring irrigation water during the dry season. It also includes modern infrastructure, satellite towns, agriculture and irrigation development, river dredging and management, and tourism facilities along the riverbanks.
Water Resources Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan said multiple times – in February and July – that work on the project would commence by early 2026.
Official sources told TBS in August that a revised Preliminary Development Project Proposal (PDPP) has already been submitted to the Chinese embassy and was waiting to be sent to the Chinese government.
The project is designed for two phases over 10 years, at a total cost of Tk12,000 crore. Of this, Tk9,150 crore will be spent in the first five years — Tk6,700 crore as a Chinese loan and Tk2,450 crore from the government's own funds.
BNP's position
BNP wants the Teesta mega project implemented and has been spearheading a movement to press for this. Party leaders said they will continue their campaign until the work begins — and if that does not happen under the interim government rule, they will implement the project once they are voted to power.
Talking to this newspaper, BNP Standing Committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said, "We want the Teesta mega project implemented. We've been demanding and campaigning for this for a long time. Our movement is ongoing and will continue until implementation begins."
Another standing committee member, Salahuddin Ahmed, said, "Implementing the Teesta project is BNP's political commitment. It reflects the aspirations of the people — especially those of the northern region. We must implement it."
On 17-18 February this year, BNP held a 48-hour programme demanding fair water sharing and implementation of the mega project. With the slogan "Wake up, save Teesta", more than 1 lakh people joined the campaign across 11 points in five northern districts of Rangpur division.
The programme was inaugurated by BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and concluded with a speech by Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman.
At the closing event, Tarique in virtual speech said, "If our neighbour India continues to delay or refuses to give Bangladesh its fair share of water under the Teesta agreement, we must find our own solutions to save our agriculture, farmers, and rivers in the interest of our people."
He added, "Bangladesh shares 54 common rivers with India. Access to fair water is not an act of kindness — it is our legal right under international law. Yet, people in the north are being forced to protest to claim this right. India continues to act unneighbourly in its water distribution behaviour."
'A mass awakening'
Nazrul Islam Hakkani, president of the Save Teesta Save Rivers Committee, said the movement has now taken the form of a mass awakening.
"We are holding continuous programmes. We demand the government inaugurate work by November using its own allocated funds. Foreign loans are unnecessary — a Teesta Authority should be formed and Teesta Bonds introduced, similar to national savings certificates. Locals are ready to invest in these bonds," he said.
Regarding concerns that the project might strain ties with India, he said, "India has no reason to be unhappy. This is our fight for survival, our struggle to save lives."
Environmental Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan recently called for detailed feasibility assessments and meaningful community engagement for the proposed Teesta mega project. She also urged that any foreign investment be transparent and concessional.
"Investors should support local communities, not exploit regulatory loopholes," she said at an event in Dhaka on 18 October. "No government should sell national interests in the name of development."
'India doesn't understand our needs'
Md Obaidul Haque, associate professor of international relations at the University of Dhaka, told TBS, "Teesta is crucial for Bangladesh. We must take a political decision on this issue — which an interim government may not be able to do.
He added, "BNP's programme so far is on the right track. If they come to power, we will see what happens. We hope BNP will take a firm stand.
"India may not be happy if China supervises the Teesta project, but that doesn't mean it has to be done only by China. It can be done through other partners too. We understand India's sensitivity, but India must also understand our needs. If India expects Bangladesh to take its sensitivities seriously, India too must take our water concerns seriously."
The Teesta crisis
Originating in the Himalayas in India's Sikkim state, the Teesta flows through West Bengal before entering Bangladesh's Lalmonirhat, Nilphamari, Rangpur, and Gaibandha districts, and then merges with the Brahmaputra.
India built the Gajoldoba Barrage on the river in 1998 as part of a hydropower project, altering its natural flow.
In the dry season, water is held back at Gajoldoba, leaving Bangladesh's section almost dry — forming sandbars across the basin and crippling agriculture. In the monsoon, sudden water releases cause devastating floods and erosion, washing away villages and farmland year after year.
Bangladesh and India have long been at odds over Teesta's water sharing. A temporary deal in 1983 allocated 39% of the water to India and 36% to Bangladesh, but it was never made permanent. Negotiations have continued sporadically since, without success.
In 2011, a Teesta water-sharing deal was set for signing during Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Dhaka, but West Bengal's opposition blocked it at the last minute. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also repeatedly promised a resolution, but the agreement remains pending.
BNP media cell member Shayrul Kabir Khan said late president Ziaur Rahman had first taken up the original Teesta development initiative to improve the drought-prone northern districts.
"As a continuation of that effort, the Teesta Barrage was completed in 1990. The current mega project is also a BNP priority," he added.
Concerns and criticism
Environmental activists have raised concerns over "flaws in China's proposed design" for the Teesta mega project. They warn that the plan would reduce the river's width, disrupt groundwater flow, and harm the region's ecological balance.
They also argue Bangladesh should instead secure fair water sharing from India and, if necessary, appeal to the UN under international river law.
Md Nahid Islam, former president of People's Committee for Rail-River Waterway, Transport and Environmental Development, told TBS, "The current width of the Teesta must be preserved, and its tributaries kept flowing."
He said, "The Teesta has both surface and underground flows. China's design treats it not as a river but as an artificial channel. The proposed depth would expose the underground water table, causing it to evaporate."
Professor Anu Muhammad, former member secretary of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports, said, "Before demanding implementation, we must clearly understand what the Teesta mega project entails, its impacts and consequences. Experts disagree on this. The demand should first focus on ensuring that India increases Teesta's flow, while the government must ratify the UN's international river law to pressure India."
However, Nazrul Islam Hakkani, president of the Save Teesta Save Rivers Committee, rejected claims of design flaws.
"Those opposing it are not from the Teesta region. There's a lot of geopolitical manoeuvring here — we are not part of that game. The people of the Teesta basin want dredging now. If we can retain the river's water, groundwater levels will rise and tributaries will revive," he said.
