Dhaka: Bangladesh’s interim government under Tarique Rahman has officially requested China’s assistance for the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project (TRCMRP), a step that risks complicating ties between Dhaka and New Delhi, PTI reported.
The Teesta water-sharing dispute took centrestage during talks on Wednesday between Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing, as reported by state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS).
River vitality and Beijing’s pledge
Originating in the eastern Himalayas, the Teesta traverses India’s Sikkim and West Bengal before entering Bangladesh, sustaining irrigation and livelihoods for millions.
Wang voiced strong backing for Rahman’s new administration. “China is ready to promote the alignment of the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation with Bangladesh’s national development strategies and deepen cooperation in traditional areas like economy, infrastructure, and people-to-people exchanges, among others.”
He added that China would urge its companies to ramp up investments in Bangladesh.
According to the Chinese official readout, Wang emphasised, “China’s development of relations with Bangladesh and other South Asian countries does not target any third party, nor should it be affected by any third party.”
This is Rahman’s inaugural trip to China since he assumed power in February.
Regional rivalries and water tensions
Rahman’s India visit last month drew scrutiny in Beijing, especially after the Muhammad Yunus interim setup cozied up to China and Pakistan following Sheikh Hasina’s downfall, fraying India-Bangladesh bonds.
China has long pursued involvement in the TRCMRP, situated near India’s strategic Siliguri Corridor linking the mainland to its northeast.
In response, India extended technical and conservation help for the Teesta basin in 2024 to bolster transboundary river collaboration with Dhaka.
Water allocation continues to be a bilateral sore spot, with the 1996 India-Bangladesh Ganges Water Treaty — governing dry-season flows — set to lapse this year absent renewal.
China’s influence in Bangladesh has surged lately. As the country’s fourth-biggest lender after Japan, the World Bank, and ADB, it has extended $7.5 billion in loans since 1975.
During the talks on Wednesday, both countries agreed to match their growth plans and boost their close partnership.
Bangladesh stuck to its One-China stance. “Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory” and opposing “Taiwan independence,” according to BSS. China replied by supporting Bangladesh’s freedom, borders, land rights, and its own path to progress.
China, on its part, backed Bangladesh’s right to guard its freedom, borders, and land, and supported the growth path its people picked on their own.
