Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said that it would be easy for Bangladesh if the Teesta restoration project received support from India, while China made a proposal on it after conducting a feasibility study.
Addressing a press conference at her official residence, Ganabhaban, on the outcome of her June 21鈥�22 visit to India, she said that her government would consider whichever proposal would be more beneficial for the country鈥檚 people with regards to the implementation of the Teesta project.聽
鈥業t will be easy for Bangladesh if India extends support in the Teesta project implementation. In that case, we would not require talking about Teesta water sharing always,鈥� the prime minister said.
Dhaka has long been pressing for a deal over the聽 Teesta water sharing with New Delhi.聽
The prime minister said that India would now send a technical team for a feasibility study for the project on the common river, which would include river dredging and the construction of dams and reservoirs in the project area.
Bangladesh and India share as many as 54 rivers, of which they have a water sharing treaty only for the Ganges, which will expire in 2026.
鈥榃e have taken the Teesta project. China and India have given separate proposals to implement the project. We must accept the proposal that will be more beneficial for the people of our country,鈥� Hasina said, responding to a question.
She said that China had already completed a feasibility study, and India would now conduct another study on the trans-boundary river for the project.
鈥榃e must consider how much the project is applicable for my country and its return from the perspective of the welfare of the people after its completion, besides our capability to repay the loan,鈥� she mentioned.
Beijing and New Delhi are engaged in a tug-of-war over the Teesta course after India鈥檚 latest proposal to finance the river restoration and management project, when China has already offered both financial and technical support for the same project.
Tension grew between the two countries as the matter was discussed during Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 bilateral talks with her Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, during her recent visit to New Delhi, her second trip to the country in 15 days.
Before Hasina鈥檚 Delhi visit, India expressed its willingness to support the project in Bangladesh鈥檚 north, a strategically important location for India.
China has already completed a survey for a $1 billion project.
When her attention was drawn to India鈥檚 West Bengal state chief minister Mamata Banerjee鈥檚 letter to prime minister Narendra Modi strongly opposing the central government鈥檚 move over the Teesta restoration and renewal of the 1996 Ganges Water Sharing Treaty bypassing her, Hasina said she would not make any comment since it was India鈥檚 internal matter.
She said she had good relations with all parties in India, including Indian prime minister Modi and West Bengal chief minister Mamata.
Mamata, in a letter to Modi on Monday, raised concerns about the renewal of the 1996 Ganges Water Sharing Treaty and the sharing of Teesta water between India and Bangladesh.
鈥楩inally, it is to convey my strong reservation that no discussion on sharing of Teesta water and the Farakka Treaty should be taken up with Bangladesh without the involvement of the state government. The interest of people in West Bengal is paramount which should not be compromised at any cost,鈥� she said in the letter.聽
New Delhi has long been foot-dragging on the Teesta water-sharing treaty with Dhaka, adversely affecting the lives and livelihoods of the people in the Rangpur region.
After finalisation of the draft of the Teesta deal by the two sides, India backtracked on signing the treaty just hours before the arrival of then-Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh in Dhaka on September 6, 2011, on the plea that West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee objected to the agreement.
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, like his predecessor, continued to promise to conclude the interim agreements on sharing the waters of seven trans-boundary rivers, the Teesta in particular, amid repeated requests from Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina on almost every occasion they met.
Asked about the balancing of relations between India and China, Sheikh Hasina said there was nothing to balance as her government was following the foreign policy of 鈥榝riendship to all, malice to none.鈥�
鈥業ndia is very important for Bangladesh, as they, along with the freedom fighters, shed blood for the independence of Bangladesh during the 1971 War of Independence,鈥� Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha reported, quoting Hasina as saying at Tuesday鈥檚 press conference in response to a question.
She also said that there were many things to learn from China about how the country should develop. 鈥榃e maintain our foreign relations considering all these aspects,鈥� she added.
She also said she didn鈥檛 see any problem maintaining relations with both India and China.
She said she went to New Delhi as she was first invited to visit India to attend the swearing-in ceremony of Narendra Modi and later invited for a state visit to India.
She would now visit China as that country had also invited her, the prime minister added.
Coming down heavily on those who criticise the rail connectivity, saying it is an attempt to sell the country, she argued how the country was sold, according to the BSS report.
