Hasina had announced to implement it in collaboration with India.
Dhaka/Beijing: Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor Mohammad Yunus, who arrived in Beijing, has met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. There is a possibility that the long-awaited Teesta River project will be discussed between the two. China has been keeping an eye on this river project for some time, but the previous Sheikh Hasina government always prioritized Bangladesh’s friend India for it. Before Yunus’s meetings with Jinping, Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary Mohammad Jashim Uddin stated that the issue of water management is on the agenda of the visit and that the Teesta issue is likely to come up during the discussions.
China has long shown interest in implementing the water management project, but in July 2024, Bangladesh’s previous Sheikh Hasina government dashed Beijing’s hopes. Hasina had announced her government’s intention to implement it in collaboration with India. After her trip to China last year, she said in Dhaka, “My priority would be that India completes the Teesta project. India has the water of the Teesta River, so they should undertake this project, and if they do the project, we will provide whatever is needed here.”
China had conducted a survey to assess the scope of the previously proposed Teesta River comprehensive management and restoration project. In 2016, Bangladesh signed a non-binding MOU with China’s state-owned power corporation to explore alternative approaches to managing the river’s challenges. Following the MOU, a master plan was prepared in 2020, which was to be finalized by 2024 under the five-year plan.
Mohammad Yunus arrived in Hainan, China on Wednesday, March 26, as part of his four-day trip, where he participated in the annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia. On Thursday, March 27, Mohammad Yunus reached Beijing, where Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong welcomed him. Yunus called on China to reduce interest rates on Chinese loans and waive commitment fees on projects funded by China.
