Bangladesh Says 'Can't Wait for India' on Teesta Project, Considers China Talks

Dhaka: After BJP'S victory in the West Bengal Assembly election 2026, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman on Monday said that government does not want to wait for a water-sharing Teesta agreement with India and is keen to continue discussions with China. 

What did the Bangladesh Foreign Minister say?

Before departing for a three-day visit to China, Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman on Monday said that "Bangladesh cannot just sit idle. We have our own work to do."

Ahead of an official visit to China, while talking to media, Khalilur Rahman said that Bangladesh's Teesta restoration project, in which China is investing significantly, will "definitely" be discussed during his official meetings in Beijing.

And talking about key topic of bilateral talks, Rahman said that he is scheduled to meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other senior officials.

What did Khalilur Rahman say about new government in West Bengal?

While replying to the question regarding whether Bangladesh still had hopes for the long-stalled Teesta water-sharing agreement after the BJP came to power in West Bengal, Rahman said that "Look, a government has not yet been formed in West Bengal, and what they think or what they will do is for them to say. It is not my job to read their minds."

"We hope that the agreement reached at that time can be ‘considered’ again under the current circumstances. But we cannot just sit and wait for that. We have our own work to do, " he added.

What did Bangladesh say about the project?

Rahman while talking about the Teesta projects said that, “This is our prime minister’s (Tarique Rahman’s) commitment... The most important consideration is our people’s interest, Bangladesh, first.”

The Teesta Agreement was agreed upon between the water resources ministers of Bangladesh and India in September 2011. It was expected to be signed during the visit of then-Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Dhaka, however, the agreement was stalled.