‘National interest’ will guide BNP on Ganga Water Treaty renewal: BNP chair’s foreign affairs adviser

BNP’s foreign affairs adviser emphasizes national interest in Ganga Water Treaty renewal and urges India to recognize Bangladesh's political shifts.

Bangladesh will take a decision on the renewal of the 1996 Ganga Water Treaty based on its “national interest”, according to Humaiun Kobir, foreign affairs adviser to Tarique Rahman, chairman of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and Bangladesh’s Prime Minister-designate following the BNP’s landslide victory in this week’s election.

Speaking to The Hindu in an exclusive interview, Mr. Kobir urged India to “break from the past”, adding that communal incidents in India are a “matter of concern” for Bangladesh.

The Ganga Water Treaty, concluded in 1996, is due for renewal by December this year. Once a BNP government is formed, renewal of the treaty is expected to be one of the first items to be featured in bilateral talks. In the past, however, Bangladesh has often been told about the interest of the Indian states that are involved in riparian agreements, Mr. Kobir said. Explaining the approach of Mr. Rahman’s incoming government, he stressed: “We will move forward in a way so that it meets our national interest.”

Mr. Kobir added that the BNP leadership has urged the outgoing interim government of Prof. Mohammed Yunus “to leave some advice” regarding some issues, so they will have some idea of the negotiations that may have taken place during its tenure, between August 2024 and February 2026.

He explained that the political environment of Bangladesh has changed as a result of the 2024 uprising. As a result, “politics cannot be as usual”, he said, noting that all sides of Bangladeshi politics will come together on issues of national interest. “The biggest achievement of the uprising is that on issues of national interest we can all unite despite our differences,” he stressed.

Mr. Kobir raised the issue of communal tensions across the border. “The thing is, communal violence in India is a concern,” he said. “People of Bangladesh feel that India is becoming an intolerant society and a lot of far-right individuals are winning in elections through highly communal rhetoric,” he said, terming this as “disturbing”.