The International Farakka Committee, on Saturday, urged Dhaka and Delhi to renew the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty and sign a new treaty on the Teesta River with guarantee and arbitration clauses.

During a joint statement at the National Press Club in Dhaka, Prof. Jasim Uddin Ahmed, President of the International Farakka Committee, Bangladesh, emphasized the need for a basinwide agreement to sustainably develop the 54 common rivers shared among the countries.

The press briefing also featured Mostafa Kamal Majumder, convener of IFC, Sirajuddin Sathi, writer and researcher, Tamijuddin Ahmed, Dr. Nazma Ahmad, vice president of IFC Bangladesh, and journalist Rafiqul Islam Azad.

The statement highlighted that the water treaties signed by India with other subcontinental countries, such as Nepal and Pakistan, include guarantee and arbitration clauses, safeguarding mutual interests. However, the Ganga Water Treaty with Bangladesh has not fully met its terms, hindering the expected development of the relationship between the two nations.

Concerns were raised about the Farakka Barrage on the Ganges, commissioned in consultation with Bangladesh on a trial basis in 1975, which led to unilateral water withdrawals and environmental disasters in Bangladesh.

While a five-year water treaty with an 80 percent water availability guarantee clause was signed in 1977, subsequent agreements lacked such assurances. The current 30-year Ganges water treaty, expiring in 2026, necessitates renewal, alongside the signing of the Teesta Water Treaty.

The statement underscored Bangladesh's dependency on rivers, particularly the Teesta, for survival, noting the severe consequences of water mismanagement, including flooding and crop losses.

It urged both countries to address unilateral water withdrawals and short-sighted damming practices to protect the natural flow of rivers and ensure the well-being of Bangladesh's populace.