Mohammad Abul Hossen, head of the Bangladeshi delegation to the Joint Rivers Commission (JRC), confirmed on Tuesday, March 4, that the Ganges Water Sharing Agreement is being adhered to.
He made these remarks while addressing queries about the agreement’s implementation following a visit to the Farakka Barrage.
Hossen, a former official of the Water Development Board, noted a recent decline in navigability at the site.
“Water flow was satisfactory in January but decreased slightly in February,” he said.
However, he described such fluctuations as normal, saying, “Water levels naturally vary from year to year—some years there will be less, and some years more.”
He added that a special committee will soon discuss extending the agreement, which is set to expire in 2026. The delegation also announced that a routine JRC meeting will take place in Kolkata following their Farakka visit.
A seven-member Bangladeshi delegation arrived in Kolkata on Monday, March 3, to assess the implementation of the Ganges Water Sharing Agreement and participate in the 86th meeting of the Bangladesh-India Joint Rivers Commission.
From Kolkata, they travelled by train to Howrah Railway Station before proceeding to Farakka in Murshidabad. Joined by members of the Indian Rivers Commission, the joint team inspected the Farakka Barrage and its surrounding areas.
Signed on December 12, 1996, the Ganges Water Sharing Agreement was a landmark in Bangladesh-India relations.
It was formalised by then-Indian Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu, and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
With the agreement nearing its 2026 expiration, this visit underscores its significance in shaping future water-sharing policies between the two nations.