New delhi: Noting that Bangladesh and India share 54 common rivers, India has stated that all water-related cooperation and discussions between the two countries should occur through their existing bilateral mechanisms, including the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC), and other structured dialogue mechanisms already in place. Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, emphasized the importance of these mechanisms when a journalist inquired about Bangladesh’s efforts to explore Chinese investment in the Teesta project.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee recently remarked that Bangladesh does not wish for its friendly relations with neighboring India to deteriorate over the long-pending Teesta water-sharing treaty. He urged Delhi to consider Dhaka’s interests while pursuing its own. Anee stressed the importance of mutual interests and the need for India to protect its friend’s concerns.
Jaiswal was also asked about a recent United Nations Security Council (UNSC) monitoring report on jihadist terror groups that mentioned Bangladesh. He acknowledged that terrorism and security are shared concerns and urged collective efforts to combat such issues. The report, submitted on August 10, covers the period from December 2025 to June 2026 and mentions Bangladesh in relation to the activities of Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).
State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed Islam addressed the report, suggesting potential links to Awami League propaganda and supporters of deposed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. She noted the lack of data to substantiate the report’s concerns and mentioned that Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman would discuss the matter with relevant UN authorities.
The Indian MEA spokesperson reiterated India’s desire for positive relations with Bangladesh, highlighting mutual interest and reciprocity. Jaiswal also touched upon ongoing energy cooperation between the two countries and the scrutiny process for any additional supply requests. However, there were no updates on a potential visit by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to India, with both Jaiswal and Shama Obaed indicating that such information would be shared when available.