Playfully chiding the Indian government for failing to deliver on the Teesta water sharing agreement, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday said the treaty, held up since 2011 due to differences between the Centre and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, was also holding up Hilsa fish supplies to India.
“You [India] aren’t giving us enough water, so I can’t give you Hilsa fish right now. But I promise I will be able to supply Hilsa by the upcoming Puja season [in October],” she said, laughing, during a diplomatic reception in Delhi, in a reference to the lower water flows in the Teesta and other rivers.
India and Bangladesh are expected to sign some agreements on joint management of rivers on Tuesday, and discuss a number of ways to cooperate on water sharing. In an indicator of how important the issue is on the bilateral agenda, the Bangladesh High Commission, that hosted the special reception for Ministers, diplomats and military officers in Delhi, had named each of the tables at the dinner after a Bangladeshi river, including Teesta, Megna, Padma, Khowai and Kushiyara.
