Bangladesh PM Tarique Rahman sought Chinese technical assistance in the Teesta management project. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, who is on his first official visit to China on Thursday (June 25, 2026), received Chinese proposals for providing technical assistance for Bangladesh’s development plans for the Teesta, a transboundary river that is shared by Bangladesh and India. The issue featured in the talks held at the Great Hall of the People between Mr. Rahman and Chinese Premier Li Qiang where the two sides signed 13 agreements.Teesta has been a matter of contention between India and Bangladesh as Dhaka has been demanding formal sealing of a deal that would allow it secure the necessary amount of water from the river for its lean winter months. The deal was held back earlier because of perceived objection from former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. It was expected that following the defeat of Ms. Banerjee in the recent election, the Teesta deal would find greater support from the Indian side.Earlier, the Chinese had proposed that they would provide both an engineering as well as a commercial plan to upgrade the river as well as the surrounding areas in northern Bangladesh so that the area around the river would become a zone of economic activities.China has said the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project would include dredging of more than 100 km of the river, which would allow better management of the river’s water and prevent erosion. It also entails creation of large reservoirs to store water in monsoon months so that the stored water could be used in winter months. That apart, the proposal envisages creating townships and economic hubs in areas that would be reclaimed from the riverbed for economic activities.Also read: What does Chinese interest in the Teesta mean for India?China had submitted a proposal earlier during the Sheikh Hasina government when the issue featured in talks with Ms. Hasina who chose India as her first foreign destination after winning the controversial January 2024 election. She subsequently visited China in July 2024, when upon her return she was faced with agitation against her government that led to the toppling of her government in August 2024. Mr. Rahman in comparison chose Malaysia as the first foreign destination to visit where he spent two days before reaching China in the second leg of the ongoing two-nation visit.Mr. Rahman was given a red carpet welcome, complete with a guard of honour and ceremonial gun salute. This is the second visit for Mr. Rahman, who had accompanied his mother, then Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, during her 2001 China visit. Mr. Rahman is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping before the conclusion of his visit on June 26, 2026. Bangladesh PMO’s spokesperson Mahdi Amin told reporters in Beijing that the 13 agreements signed on Thursday (June 25, 2026) cover areas such as investment cooperation, trade expansion, human resource development, education, health and media collaboration. “MoUs were also signed under the framework of the Global Development Initiative (GDI), covering cooperation in health, education, manpower capacity building, and other development-related areas aimed at strengthening institutional and human resource capacities,” Mr. Amin was quoted as saying by Prothom Alo. It was also agreed that Mandarin would be introduced in Bangladesh at the school level. Published - June 25, 2026 05:03 pm IST
