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NCP Leader Urges Fair Ganges Water Deal, Opposes Indian Transit Corridor

By PTI

National Citizen Party convener Nahid Islam warned against any Indian transit corridor through Bangladesh and called for a fair renewal of the Ganges water‑sharing treaty before its December expiry. The remarks were made at a rally in Dhaka on Friday, October 30, 2026, where Islam demanded the resignation of Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed and Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Iqbal Hassan Mahmood Tuku over alleged failures to maintain law and order and address gas and electricity shortages. Islam also accused Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s government of seeking to facilitate an Indian corridor and threatened fresh protests if Bangladesh’s share of the river’s waters was not protected. He said, “Japan is trying to create a corridor through Bangladesh once again. The government is trying to hand over the illegal corridor to India. Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, we want to say clearly that the people of Bangladesh will not accept any such illegal corridor.”

Rahman had visited Japan from October 26 to 29, during which Japan and Bangladesh agreed to upgrade their Bay of Bengal Industrial Growth Belt initiative into a broader strategic cooperation plan. The two sides also agreed to work toward developing the Bay of Bengal region with Bangladesh as a hub, and Japan is supporting the Matarbari deep‑sea port through financing from JICA. Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir said no third‑country issue was discussed during the visit, adding that discussions focused on the economic partnership between Bangladesh and Japan.

India announced on October 28 that it would strengthen its partnership with Japan, including initiatives involving India’s northeastern states, after Bangladesh’s prime minister and Japanese prime minister signed agreements for additional Japanese assistance to the Matarbari port.

The Ganges water‑sharing treaty, signed on December 12, 1996, governs the sharing of waters at the Farakka Barrage during the lean season from January to May. Bangladesh seeks a new or revised, longer‑term agreement with a guarantee clause to protect its share during the dry season. India says discussions on water‑sharing and other issues concerning the 54 shared rivers take place through the Joint Rivers Commission established in 1972. The treaty is set to expire on December 12, 2026.