Bangladesh Links Future India Ties To Ganges Water Treaty: What Is The 1996 Accord?

Key points

• Bangladesh Links Future India Ties To Ganges Water Treaty: What Is The 1996 Accord?
• Published By, Last Updated: May 18, 2026, 16:13 IST As the 1996 Ganges Water Sharing Treaty nears expiry, Bangladesh has called for early negotiations on a new pact, saying future ties with India will depend on the agreement.
• Rapid Read The Farakka Barrage, located in West Bengal near the Bangladesh border, has been at the centre of India-Bangladesh water disputes for decades.
• Bangladesh’s ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has linked the future trajectory of Dhaka’s ties with New Delhi to the renewal of the Ganges Water Sharing Treaty.
• The existing Indo-Bangladesh Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, signed in 1996 for a duration of 30 years, is set to expire in December this year.