India’s Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed that technical-level discussions on the Ganga Water Treaty with Bangladesh are ongoing, and that all matters concerning the Ganga and other shared rivers will be addressed through the existing Joint River Commission (JRC) mechanism.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Tuesday that the bilateral framework already provides for structured dialogue on shared water resources. “For the Ganga Water Treaty, and also for other rivers that we share between Bangladesh and India, we have a joint river commission, and all matters relating to rivers will be discussed as part of this river commission. At the technical level, meetings on the Ganga Water Treaty continue to happen,” he said.

The statement follows remarks by Bangladesh Jatiya Sangsad Chief Whip Nurul Islam Moni on September 19, who said Dhaka was reviewing 101 agreements and MoUs signed with India during the previous Awami League dispensation to identify inconsistencies and address them in a manner that serves both countries’ interests.

Moni clarified there was no plan to cancel the agreements outright; instead, provisions found to be against Bangladesh’s interests would be removed following the review. “We will review the agreements made with India to check whether there are any inconsistencies. If any such inconsistencies are found, we will try to resolve them,” he told ANI.

He added that the relevant ministries and departments in Bangladesh would conduct the review, and only if inconsistencies were identified would discussions be held with India to address them. Moni also said the outcome of the exercise would be announced soon.

New Delhi has taken note of media reports on the review but said it had not received any official communication from Dhaka. “We also have seen some media reports on this matter, but nothing has been conveyed to us officially. Obviously, India will take all necessary actions to protect its interests,” Jaiswal said during an earlier briefing this month.

The India-Bangladesh Ganga Water Sharing Treaty, signed on December 12, 1996, is a 30-year agreement governing dry-season flows at the Farakka Barrage and is due to expire in December 2026.

India and Bangladesh share 54 rivers, and water-related issues are handled through the JRC and other established bilateral mechanisms. The commission has been the primary forum for technical talks, with the latest major round held in Kolkata in May 2026, though no formal breakthrough was announced.

Among the areas covered by earlier India-Bangladesh arrangements is connectivity through Bangladesh, including India’s use of Chattogram and Mongla ports for transporting cargo to its northeastern states.

ANI