BEIJING, June 25: Bangladesh and China on Thursday agreed to strengthen cooperation in the management of the Teesta and other rivers.
The agreement was reached when Chinese water resources minister Li Guoying called on Bangladesh's Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, who is currently in Beijing, the state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) news agency reported.
Rahman, who chose Malaysia for his first visit abroad since assuming office earlier this year, arrived in the Chinese city of Dalian from Kuala Lumpur on Jun 22, where he attended a World Economic Forum event.
On Wednesday, he arrived in Beijing by a high-speed train from Dalian and is expected to hold meetings with President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Qiang and other senior officials.
During his meeting with Li, Rahman highlighted Bangladesh's ongoing river excavation programme aimed at reducing flood risks, protecting the environment, and ensuring the proper management of water resources, the report said.
In this connection, he sought China's support in improving Bangladesh's water resource management.
Rahman also sought Chinese technical assistance in the Teesta management project, the report said.
In response, the Chinese minister assured full cooperation to the Bangladesh government's initiatives in water resource management, it said.
Referring to the a Memorandum of Understanding signed between Dhaka and Beijing in 2005, as well as the visit of Chinese water experts to Bangladesh last year, Li said that bilateral cooperation between the two countries in water resource management is practical and research-based.
Rahman also sought China's assistance in preventing riverbank erosion, improving irrigation systems, and enhancing inland water navigation in Bangladesh, the report said.
The Chinese minister noted that Bangladesh could benefit from China's experience in water management and invited Bangladeshi water experts and officials concerned to receive training in China, it said.
The Teesta project is a sensitive issue in India-Bangladesh relations, which has shown signs of improvement after Rahman's government took over in February, ending the brief rule of an interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus, during which New Delhi-Dhaka ties deteriorated.
Last month, the Rahman government formally sought China's involvement and support for the Teesta River restoration project when Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman visited Beijing, the BSS had then reported.
The Teesta River flows from the eastern Himalayas through Sikkim and West Bengal before entering Bangladesh, where it is a key source of irrigation and livelihoods for millions of people.
China has for years shown interest in developing the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project, located near India's sensitive Siliguri Corridor connecting the mainland with the northeastern states.
Against this backdrop, India in 2024 offered technical and conservation assistance for the Teesta basin, reflecting Delhi's efforts to deepen cooperation with Dhaka on transboundary river management.
Water sharing remains a key issue in New Delhi-Dhaka ties. The issue has assumed more significance because the India-Bangladesh Ganges Water Treaty, signed in 1996 for 30 years, to govern dry-season sharing of the Ganges river, is due to expire this year unless renewed. (PTI)
