High-level panel to initiate talks with India: Shama

Highlighting the importance of sustained engagement with India, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam said on Monday that the government had formed a high-level committee to negotiate a renewed Ganges Water Sharing Treaty to safeguard Bangladesh's legitimate rights.

"If I want to secure what I am legitimately entitled to, I have to fight for it. And if I have to fight for it, I have to talk to them. It's as simple as that. We hope India will take the right decision," Shama told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Indian Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal recently said issues concerning the Ganges treaty and other shared rivers would be discussed through the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC).

Shama said the negotiations would be based on Bangladesh's legitimate demands and the interests of its people. She stressed that sustained discussions with India were necessary to secure the country's rightful share.

"We will pursue the best possible outcome for the future, and our decisions regarding the resolution of our water-related issues will be guided by this approach," she said.

The state minister said Bangladesh had several issues with India that needed to be resolved through dialogue and discussion.

Referring to the JRC, she said all matters concerning the Ganges and other shared rivers would be discussed through the bilateral mechanism. She added that technical-level meetings on the Ganges treaty had continued.

The urgency is underscored by the 1996 Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, signed on December 12 that year, which is set to expire on December 12 this year.

The government has become increasingly vocal in recent weeks, signalling that Bangladesh will seek a new or revised agreement to safeguard its interests, particularly its share of dry-season flows, with a guarantee clause.