Fri Apr 25 18:42:53 UTC 2025: ## India’s Indus Waters Decision Casts Doubt on Ganga Water Sharing with Bangladesh
**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 water expert has warned. Professor Aninun Nishat, a prominent water resource and climate change specialist from Dhaka, expressed fears that this move could jeopardize the renewal of the 1996 Ganga Waters Agreement between India and Bangladesh.
The Ganga treaty, set for renewal in 2026, guarantees a minimum water flow to Bangladesh during lean seasons. Prof. Nishat argued that India’s actions regarding the Indus treaty, a major agreement ratified by the Indian parliament, undermine India’s assurances regarding the Ganga. The precedent set by the Indus decision could embolden critics in Bangladesh to question India’s commitment to the Ganga agreement.
The issue has been raised in recent official talks between the two countries, including during Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India in June 2024. Even after the subsequent political upheaval in Bangladesh and the installation of an interim government, discussions on the Ganga treaty continued, with a meeting between technical teams in Kolkata in March 2025.
Prof. Nishat highlighted the unusual nature of India’s actions, suggesting that political considerations are overriding legal commitments. He implied that India might be willing to use water as a political tool, especially given the escalating tensions between India and Bangladesh, and the latter’s closer ties with China and Pakistan under the interim government. The recent cancellation of a planned visit by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to Dhaka, due to heightened India-Pakistan tensions, further underscores the regional instability. The sharing of the Teesta river’s waters also remains a point of contention between India and Bangladesh.
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