Teesta agreement is a matter of time: Minister

Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen today said the signing of much-awaited Teesta water sharing agreement is a matter of time as Bangladesh and India have the same positive mindset to ink the accord.

“Nothing to be worried here, it’s just a matter of time to sign the Teesta water sharing agreement,” he told newsmen after inaugurating a workshop on water diplomacy at the foreign service academy at Sugandha Bhaban in the capital, reports BSS.

The minister said Bangladesh and India share the same mindset and approach regarding water sharing of the Teesta river though negotiations are still going on over some issues in this regard between the two countries.

Referring to his maiden India visit, he said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Foreign Minister Sushama Swaraj had agreed in principal to resolve water sharing issues concerning all common rivers.

The foreign minister said time has also come to talk about the Bangladesh-India Ganges water sharing agreement that will expire by 2026. The agreement was signed with 30 years validity in 1996 after long negotiations.

“The historic Ganga water sharing agreement was signed due to dynamic leadership of the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,” Momen said.

The Ganges River forms a boundary of 129 kilometres between India and Bangladesh and flows for 113 km inside the country known as the Padma River until it is joined by the Jamuna River. A total of 54 rivers flow into Bangladesh from India.