Fri Apr 25 18:42:53 UTC 2025: ## India’s Indus Waters Decision Casts Doubt on Ganga Water Treaty: Bangladeshi Expert
**New Delhi, April 26, 2025** – India’s decision to put the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan “in abeyance” has raised concerns in Bangladesh about India’s commitment to sharing river waters, a leading Bangladeshi water expert warned. Professor Aninun Nishat, a specialist in water resources and climate change, told *The Hindu* that the move casts a shadow over the upcoming renewal of the 1996 Ganga Waters Agreement between India and Bangladesh.
The Ganga treaty, which guarantees a minimum water flow to Bangladesh during lean seasons, is due for renewal in 2026. Prof. Nishat expressed apprehension that India’s actions regarding the Indus treaty, a far larger and formally ratified agreement, could undermine confidence in India’s assurances regarding the Ganga. He highlighted that the precedent set by India’s decision to freeze the Indus treaty could be used by critics in Bangladesh to argue that India’s commitments on the Ganga are equally unreliable.
The renewal of the Ganga treaty has been a subject of discussion between the two countries, including during a visit by Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in June 2024. Even after the subsequent political upheaval in Bangladesh and the installation of an interim government, discussions, including a meeting of technical teams in Kolkata in March 2025, have continued. However, the shadow of the Indus Waters Treaty remains.
Prof. Nishat emphasized that treaties are typically considered legally binding, irrespective of political relations. India’s actions, he suggested, indicate a willingness to utilize water as a political tool, particularly given rising tensions between Bangladesh and India, further complicated by Bangladesh’s improving relations with China and Pakistan. The recent cancellation of a planned visit to Dhaka by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, due to heightened India-Pakistan tensions, further underscores the regional instability. The future of the Ganga Waters Agreement hangs precariously in the balance, dependent on India’s actions and the evolving geopolitical dynamics of the region.
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