Dialogue, diplomacy key to resolving water disputes: Kobir

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir today said Bangladesh-India water-sharing issues must be resolved through discussion, dialogue and diplomacy, with relevant principles of international law also being taken into consideration.

“It is only through discussion, dialogue, and diplomacy that these matters will have to be resolved. The positions of international law are also being taken into consideration. So, this is where we stand right now,” he told journalists.

Kobir was talking to reporters after attending a seminar titled “Rethinking Water Futures: Youth Leadership, Justice and Cooperation” at the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) auditorium here.

Responding to questions on trans-boundary rivers and the future of the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, the state minister said discussions between Bangladesh and India were continuing and regional cooperation needed to be strengthened.

“Discussions and dialogues are ongoing and will continue,” he said.

Kobir said an amicable and positive outcome would depend on sincerity and willingness to cooperate at all levels on both sides.

“If there is sincerity between both countries…at the senior official level, leadership level, and among the water negotiators working from both sides…we will certainly achieve an amicable and positive resolution on this issue,” he said.

He said Bangladesh had formed a committee to examine the issues, while the Indian side was also reviewing matters through its own mechanisms.

The state minister said progress would be possible if the leadership of the two countries demonstrated the political will to move forward through cooperation.

“If the leadership possesses the mindset to come forward and cooperate, we will certainly achieve an amicable and positive resolution,” he said.

Bangladesh and India share 54 trans-boundary rivers, making water management and equitable sharing an important component of bilateral relations.

The Joint Rivers Commission remains the principal bilateral mechanism for discussing shared-river issues between the two countries.

The future of the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty has drawn renewed attention as the agreement, signed in 1996, approaches the end of its current term.

Bangladesh has been seeking an arrangement that protects its interests, including adequate dry-season water flows.

The BIISS seminar was organised to examine water diplomacy in multilateral platforms and identify opportunities for Bangladesh to strengthen cooperation with like-minded countries.

It also focused on inclusive governance and public-private partnerships in trans-boundary water management, as well as greater youth participation in water justice and decision-making.