With polls looming, Bangladesh’s Teesta River runs dry, deepening water scarcity, hurting farmers and fishers, and turning transboundary river management and the delayed Teesta Mega Project into decisive election issues.
As Bangladesh approaches its 13th national parliamentary elections, the Teesta River has become more than just a natural waterway; it is a political and humanitarian focal point. Communities in the northern districts of Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Nilphamari and Gaibandha have long depended on the river for agriculture, fisheries and daily life. However, years of upstream diversion by India, seasonal droughts and delayed development projects have left the region facing severe water scarcity. Farmers, fishers and residents are now calling for urgent action, demanding the implementation of the Teesta Mega Project and fair water-sharing agreements ahead of the elections. Political parties have responded with pledges to prioritize the river’s restoration, turning the Teesta into a key issue for millions of voters.
Walking across the exposed riverbed in Rangpur, Rashidul Islam, a local farmer, gestures to his parched fields and says, “Our crops, homes and livelihoods depend on the Teesta. This year, water is barely enough for irrigation. Every dry season we feel the river slipping away.” Farmers along the river have watched fertile river islands, or chars, emerge as water levels drop. Over 734 islands, covering more than 81,000 hectares, are now available for cultivation. Yet the promise of harvests worth roughly five billion taka masks a deeper crisis. Reduced river flow has lowered groundwater levels, increased the risk of arsenic contamination, disrupted fisheries and threatened regional food security.
“Every year, the river brings both floods and droughts,” said Dr Yogesh Jain, a river expert in Chhattisgarh, India, affiliated with the Global Snakebite Taskforce. “Now the river is unpredictable. Water is being held upstream in India and the lack of proper river management in Bangladesh compounds the problem.” According to the Ministry of Water Resources, the Teesta should supply at least 10,000 cusecs during the dry season. Current flows rarely exceed 200 cusecs, barely a fraction of what is needed. The river carries more than 20 million tonnes of sediment each year, raising the riverbed and worsening both floods and droughts. “Even small rains now trigger sudden flooding while the dry season leaves the river shallow and fragmented,” Dr Jain added.
The Teesta’s declining flow has also drawn the attention of political leaders. In recent months, candidates have visited exposed riverbanks and pledged fair water-sharing agreements. BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami supremos Tarique Rahman and Dr Shafiqul Rahman have promised to implement the Teesta Mega Project if elected. Jamaat-e-Islami leader Dr Shafiqul Rahman said, “If the river regains life, northern Bangladesh will regain life. We will start the Teesta Mega Project immediately upon assuming responsibility.”
The Teesta River Protection Movement, led by Asadul Habib Dulu, BNP’s Rangpur divisional organizing secretary, has been active for more than a year, organizing months-long campaigns demanding the river’s restoration. In February last year, BNP held a two-day program along the river, advocating for fair water-sharing and project implementation. Tarique Rahman, speaking virtually from London at the closing ceremony, urged the public, “Wake up, save Teesta, save the country.”
The Teesta Mega Project, designed with full Chinese financing, aims to restore and manage the river over a 115-kilometer stretch within Bangladesh. The project proposes dredging the river to increase its depth by ten meters, narrowing certain sections to improve flow, constructing four-lane roads along both banks and building multiple barrages to regulate water. Reservoirs and irrigation channels would provide water for agriculture, while industrial zones and urban facilities along the riverbanks aim to boost the local economy. If executed, the project could transform the socio-economic landscape of northern Bangladesh.
Syeda Rizwana Hasan, adviser to the Ministry of Water Resources, visited erosion-prone areas along the Teesta in January 2026. She emphasized India’s unilateral upstream water diversions and their impact on local ecosystems. “Securing our fair share of Teesta water is a top priority,” she said, noting that while political parties have pledged project implementation, careful planning is essential to ensure quality execution.
The river’s challenges are not only domestic. India has historically opposed large-scale projects near the sensitive Siliguri Corridor due to strategic concerns. Upstream dams at Gazaldoba in West Bengal block water flow, leaving Bangladesh’s portion of the river nearly dry for much of the year. Negotiations on fair water sharing have been ongoing since 1987, with agreements repeatedly stalled by political and administrative disagreements, including a near-complete treaty in 2011 that was blocked by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Political instability in Bangladesh and strained relations with India’s Modi government have further complicated progress.
Dr Tuhin Wadud, a river researcher and development analyst, said, “Teesta has become a political chess piece. Without protecting the river itself, even a fair water-sharing agreement will not resolve the crisis.” Professor Dr Moinul Islam, an Ekushey Padak-winning economist, added that the interim government must invite China to finance and implement the Teesta Mega Project immediately. “Otherwise, local communities may again be forced to protest to secure their survival,” he said.
Communities in northern Bangladesh are already feeling the consequences. Fertile chars that once produced rice, jute, potatoes and other crops are facing yield reductions. Reduced water supply limits irrigation and threatens livelihoods. The International Food Policy Research Institute estimates that annual rice production in these districts drops by roughly 1.5 million tonnes due to water shortages. “The river is our lifeline, but for years India’s upstream dams have left the Teesta almost empty in Bangladesh,” Asadul Habib Dulu said. “We are fighting for our fair share of the river. Decades of inequity cannot continue.”
Experts warn that without immediate action, northern districts will face recurring floods during the monsoon and severe water shortages in the dry season. The upcoming monsoon could bring yet another humanitarian crisis for two million residents across five historically marginalized districts if the project is not implemented. Sohanur Rahman, executive coordinator of YouthNet Global, emphasized the urgency, saying, “If the Teesta Mega Project is not completed before the next monsoon, the livelihoods of millions are at stake. This project could transform agriculture, biodiversity and local economies in the northwest of Bangladesh.”
The historical context of the river dispute is crucial. India’s unilateral withdrawals began in 1987 and peaked around 2000, with recurring attempts to negotiate fair water-sharing. Unilateral dams, diversion projects and upstream barrages continue to limit flow. Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina sought Chinese assistance to implement the mega project, drawing lessons from China’s management of the Yellow River. The proposed project would increase depth, reclaim land for cultivation, provide irrigation and reduce flood and drought vulnerability. Yet Indian objections and political inertia have delayed execution, turning the river into both a humanitarian challenge and a political symbol.
Residents remain hopeful yet cautious, remembering past election promises that failed to translate into action. Women farmers, youth and fishers continue to face water shortages, crop losses and threats to livelihoods. The river stands as a natural resource, a political bargaining chip and a symbol of resilience. As voters prepare to head to the polls, the health of the Teesta River is emerging as a decisive factor in northern Bangladesh, shaping political debates, local livelihoods and the broader conversation on transboundary water management.
International observers note that the Teesta crisis mirrors challenges faced by other transboundary rivers worldwide, including the Mekong and the Nile, where upstream diversions and geopolitical interests collide with local survival and environmental sustainability. For Bangladesh, the river’s future will determine not only the outcome of elections but also the socio-economic fate of millions who rely on its waters.
The coming months will reveal whether political pledges turn into action, whether China’s proposed funding materializes and whether fair water-sharing agreements with India can be implemented. For now, the Teesta River remains parched, politically charged and vital to the lives of those who live along its banks
