Bangladesh is moving ahead with plans to build a new barrage on the Padma River as negotiations with India over the renewal of the Farrakka Water Treaty show little progress ahead of its 2026 expiry.
The Bangladesh Water Development Board is preparing to implement the long delayed Padma Barrage project at an estimated cost of 50,443.64 crore Taka.
The Padma is the continuation of the Ganga after it enters Bangladesh from India, and the proposed barrage is expected to be built at Pangsha in Kushtia district, around 180 kilometres downstream of the Farakka Barrage.
The 1996 Ganges Water Sharing Treaty, signed for 30 years, governs the sharing of water at Farakka from January 1 to May 31 each year. Talks on its renewal have been slow amid strained bilateral ties, with Bangladesh seeking assured dry season flows and India looking to revise the agreement to meet its own requirements, including concerns raised by West Bengal.
Bangladesh has long argued that water flow in its southwest has declined sharply since the Farakka Barrage began operating. Officials say the Padma Barrage would allow storage of monsoon water and ensure year round supply to the southwest and northwest, benefiting areas that cover nearly 37 percent of the country and supporting seven to eight river systems during the dry season.
The issue has also entered domestic politics. At a rally in Sylhet, Bangladesh Nationalist Party chairman Tarique Rahman said unresolved water disputes had harmed national interests and promised canal construction if his party returns to power.
India has previously rejected claims that Farakka caused flooding in Bangladesh, stating the structure is a barrage and not a dam, and that water flows downstream once pond levels are reached.
The interim government led by Muhammad Yunus has decided to finance the Padma Barrage domestically for now, with foreign funding, including from China, to be considered later. India is also closely watching China’s involvement in other water projects in Bangladesh, including the Teesta Master Plan, as talks on sharing Teesta river waters remain unresolved.