1996 Ganga Water Treaty Renewal
Context:
The 1996 Ganga Water Treaty between India and Bangladesh is approaching its expiration and is due for renewal by December 2026.
The renewal process is expected to be one of the first major bilateral items addressed by the incoming Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government following their landslide election victory. 3. International Relations: 1996 Ganga Water Treaty (Revised)
Key Provisions & Sharing Formula:
The treaty is valid for 30 years, subject to review every five years or as desired by either party.
Water is shared based on 10-day periods from January 1 to May 31 every year.
The Formula (Availability at Farakka):
< 70,000 cusecs: Shared on a 50:50 basis.
70,000 – 75,000 cusecs: Bangladesh gets 35,000 cusecs, and India gets the balance.
> 75,000 cusecs: India receives 40,000 cusecs, and Bangladesh receives the rest.
Bangladesh is guaranteed 35,000 cusecs in the first and last 10 days of April, and 27,633 cusecs during April 11–20.
Key Stance & Negotiations:
The foreign affairs adviser to Prime Minister-designate Tarique Rahman, emphasized that the renewal will be guided strictly by Bangladesh's "national interest".
The new administration seeks a "break from the past" in negotiations.
Historically, Bangladesh felt that treaty outcomes were often dictated by the interests of specific Indian riparian states
The new government intends to assert a unified national position.
The BNP leadership has urged the outgoing interim government (which ruled from August 2024 to February 2026) to leave detailed notes on any prior negotiations to ensure continuity.
Several friction points that may influence the diplomatic atmosphere surrounding the treaty:
Communal Rhetoric
Border Killings
Political Reality:
Bangladesh has urged New Delhi to recognize the new political reality that the "Awami League does not exist" in the country anymore and to engage fully with the new leadership.