The Bangladesh National Party (BNP) on Tuesday formally congratulated the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after it won the elections in West Bengal, a political and diplomatic gesture which analysts say is rare in the region.
BJP Information Secretary Azizul Baree Helal congratulated the party’s victory under the leadership of Suvendu Adhikari and believed that the result would positively impact on the cross border relations between Bangladesh and West Bengal. Better coordination between the state and the Bangladesh administration may help to mellow the relationship, which has been a source of cooperation and confrontation in the past, he said.
Helal also spoke about the long-awaited Teesta Water Sharing Treaty and its significance as one of the bilateral issues between India and Bangladesh that have been pending for more than a decade. The change in political leadership in west Bengal may open the door for fresh talks on the agreement, he added.
The previous government headed by Mamata Banerjee had been obstructing the formation of consensus on the Teesta Barrage project, he said. The BNP feels that the BJP now in power in the state might be able to find a better balance with the BJP’s central government push towards concluding the water-sharing deal.
The dispute around the Teesta has been a delicate one, as Bangladesh has called for a just division of the river water for its agricultural and irrigation needs, while West Bengal has expressed concerns about its water needs. Previously, a proposal was made to share the water under a formula in the discussions during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit in 2011 but it did not materialise as the state government opposed it.
Helal also spoke about the regional water-sharing disputes, such as the Ganga Water Treaty, highlighting the persistent issues in water resource management across borders as the climate threat and need for water resources are increasing.