Dhaka on Sunday raised the renewal of the 30-year Ganges water sharing treaty with New Delhi as Bangladesh foreign affairs adviser Md Touhid Hossain and Indian external affairs minister S Jaishankar held a meeting on the sidelines of a conference in Muscat in Oman.
The 30-year deal between the two neighbours is set to expire in 2026.
On the sidelines of the聽 eighth Indian Ocean Conference, the foreign affairs adviser met with his Indian counterpart Jaishankar, a foreign ministry release issued in Dhaka confirmed.
鈥楾he foreign affairs adviser emphasised the importance of initiating discussion for renewal of the Ganges Water Treaty,鈥� said the release.
Both sides have recognised challenges the two neighbours are facing in terms of bilateral relations and discussed the necessity to work together to address those, it said.
Touhid also highlighted the importance of holding the meeting of the SAARC Standing Committee and requested consideration of the government of India in this regard.
The two sides discussed various bilateral issues of mutual concerns and interests. Recalling their last meeting on the sidelines of UNGA in September 2024, both the countries noted that since then the two countries
participated in various bilateral engagements, it said, adding that the Foreign Office Consultations between Bangladesh and India at the level of foreign saecretaries was conducted in Dhaka on December 9, 2024, the energy adviser of Bangladesh participated in India Energy Week events in New Delhi on February 10-11, 2025, among others.
Both the sides also noted that meeting at the level of directors general of border guarding forces of the two countries scheduled to be held in New Delhi on 18-20 February would hopefully discuss various border related issues and resolve them during the meeting, the foreign ministry release mentioned.聽
Touhid Hossain is attending the two-day IOC being organised by the government of the Sultanate of Oman in association with the Indian government and India Foundation on February 16-17.
The theme of the 8th IOC is 鈥榁oyage of New Horizons of Maritime Partnership鈥�.
Touhid spoke at one of the plenary sessions on the topic of 鈥楽trengthening Maritime Supply Chains鈥� where he explained the multifaceted challenges that endanger the efficiency, reliability, and sustainability of maritime supply chains and the holistic approach and collaboration required for strengthening maritime supply chains by overcoming disruptions and enhancing resilience.
Among others, he also called for easing visas and other administrative processes for the seafarers, ensuring facilities for them, as their roles are crucial in maintaining the maritime supply chain. Ministerial delegations from more than thirty countries and several regional organisations including SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation), BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) and IORA (Indian Ocean Rim Association) attended the meeting.