Amidst tensions, India-Bangladesh Joint River Commission to meet on September 9

The India-Bangladesh Joint River Commission is set to meet in New Delhi on Tuesday (September 9, 2025), sources said, amidst ongoing tension between the two countries. Dhaka plans to send a ten-member team to raise its concerns about water sharing of 14 cross-border rivers.

Sources said that Bangladesh plans to use the discussion as a warm-up for talks on the Ganga Waters Agreement of 1996 that will come up for renewal next year, when Bangladesh will also hold its first election since the overthrow of the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024. The treaty was signed during Ms. Hasina’s first term in power in 1996, when it was decided that the treaty would be considered for renewal thirty years later. It is understood that Bangladesh will now demand a longer time frame before the next renewal of the treaty. It is also seeking some changes in the use of the river’s water on the Indian side.

Diplomatic sources said that Dhaka is expected to ask for a special vehicle to manage the waters of 14 rivers, including the Muhuri, Khowai, Gomti, Dharla, and Doodhkumar.

Flood forecasting mechanism

There are concerns in Bangladesh about India’s river policies, especially after New Delhi put the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan in “abeyance”. In recent weeks, however, India has shown its willingness to share hydrological information with Pakistan due to “humanitarian reasons”, as the tributaries of the Indus have caused a major flood in Punjab.  

Bangladesh also wants India’s support to create a joint flood forecasting mechanism, sources said. Last year, torrential rains in Tripura had caused a major flood in the eastern part of Bangladesh, leading to a political war of words.

Dhaka has been arguing that the Padma river and some other major rivers go dry during the winter months due to India’s practices. The two sides have been in talks over the sharing of the waters of the Teesta since at least 2011, but there has been little progress due to political reasons.