New Delhi. China, which wanted to grab the work of water management of the Teesta river of neighboring country Bangladesh, has suffered a setback for the time being. In a meeting between PM Narendra Modi and invited Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina in New Delhi, it has been agreed that a technical team from India will soon visit Dhaka for talks on Teesta river water management.

Talk with Sheikh Hasina on Teesta

This was announced by PM Modi himself during a joint press conference. This team will prepare a roadmap to clean the silt of the Teesta river and restore it to its old form. Along with this, it has also been decided to re-implement the Ganga water river sharing and start talks on a comprehensive trade agreement. PM Hasina is the first global leader to be invited on an official visit after the start of PM Modi's third term in India.

This is not what India wanted on the Teesta dispute

According to Bangladesh media, China has proposed to the Hasina government to get the entire water management work of this river done at its own cost. China getting the contract for this work would mean that all the data of this river would go to it. India did not want this considering the sensitivity of its relations with China and the importance of the Teesta river.

PM Hasina is going to visit Beijing next month (July, 2024). Many experts say that by discussing Teesta with India before her visit to Beijing, Hasina has averted the threat of any possible pressure from China. India and Bangladesh share 54 rivers and there is a lot of cooperation going on between the two countries regarding this.

PM Modi said in a joint press conference, "54 shared rivers connect India and Bangladesh. We have been cooperating on flood management, drinking water projects. We have decided to start talks at the technical level for the renewal of the 1996 Ganga water sharing. A technical team will soon visit Bangladesh to discuss the conservation and management of the Teesta river in Bangladesh."

Talks on overall trade agreement will begin soon

PM Modi said that negotiations on Comprehensive Trade Agreement (CIPA) will be started soon. Three important agreements have also been made to increase cooperation in the field of digital, green partnership and ocean-based economy. Apart from this, an agreement has also been made to install a satellite specially made for Bangladesh from an Indian spacecraft. Along with this, a big announcement has been made for the interests of common Bangladeshi citizens that now India will provide them e-visa facility for treatment. A large number of people from Bangladesh come to India for treatment. 30 percent of the people coming to India from there are from this category.

PM Modi said, "India will launch e-medical visa facility for people coming to India from Bangladesh for medical treatment. We have decided to open a new Assistant High Commission in Rangpur to facilitate the people of the north-west region of Bangladesh. We give utmost priority to our relations with Bangladesh. I reiterate India's commitment to realizing Bangabandhu's vision of a stable, prosperous and progressive Bangladesh. Bangladesh is going to become a developing country in 2026. I am confident that together we will take the resolutions of 'Developed India 2047' and 'Smart Bangladesh 2041' to accomplishment."