During Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's recent visit to China, Dhaka and Beijing signed an agreement to undertake a feasibility study for the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project (TRCMRP). While the proposed initiative reflects deepening China-Bangladesh ties through large-scale river engineering and infrastructure development in northeastern Bangladesh, experts believe it is likely to raise concerns in New Delhi because of the project's proximity to India's strategically important Siliguri Corridor.
The 414-km-long Teesta River originates in the eastern Himalayas and flows through Sikkim and West Bengal before entering Bangladesh, where it joins the Jamuna River, known in India as the Brahmaputra. The river has long been a source of disagreement between India and Bangladesh, with Dhaka consistently seeking a larger share of its waters during the dry season.
Strategic affairs and national security expert Tara Kartha told India Today Digital that India had earlier proposed funding the Teesta project with an investment of nearly $1 billion before the Muhammad Yunus government assumed office, even as China had been pursuing the project since 2016.
"The key point is that the Teesta River runs close to India's border, coming within 10–12 kilometres at certain stretches, and lies adjacent to the strategically sensitive Siliguri Corridor. It is clearly part of Beijing's expanding regional footprint," Kartha said.
Although Bangladesh unveiled the Teesta project in 2020, it never progressed beyond the planning stage. Former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reportedly withheld final approval because of financial constraints as well as India's reservations about a major Chinese-backed infrastructure project so close to a strategically sensitive region.
The agreement signed under Tarique Rahman's government revives China's longstanding interest in the Teesta project and reflects the broader strategic competition between India and China for influence in Bangladesh. While the current agreement is limited to a feasibility study, it could eventually pave the way for deeper Chinese involvement in one of Bangladesh's most significant infrastructure projects located near India's vulnerable Siliguri Corridor, commonly known as the Chicken's Neck.
The strategic implications are further amplified by the company selected to execute the project. PowerChina is a Chinese state-owned enterprise whose operations are widely seen as aligning with Beijing's military-civil fusion strategy and broader geopolitical objectives. The company has previously undertaken infrastructure projects across Asia and Africa where civilian development has often been viewed as contributing to China's long-term strategic influence.
A 2024 analysis by Observer Research Foundation scholars Sohini Bose and Anasua Basu Ray Chaudhury argued that Chinese participation introduces an additional strategic dimension to the long-running Teesta dispute.
WHAT IS THE TEESTA PROJECT?
The Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project is a major river engineering initiative proposed by Bangladesh to manage floods, improve water security, restore the river ecosystem and stimulate economic development along the Teesta basin.
The project includes extensive dredging, embankment strengthening, land reclamation and river training works designed to stabilise the river's course. It also proposes developing roads, irrigation infrastructure, urban centres, tourism facilities and special economic zones along the riverbanks. Bangladesh expects the project to improve agricultural productivity, reduce flood damage, enhance inland navigation and create employment opportunities.
The project's origins date back to September 2016, when the Bangladesh Water Development Board signed a memorandum of understanding with PowerChina to prepare a master plan and feasibility study. In May 2019, the proposal received an official framework through a Preliminary Development Project Proposal before being publicly unveiled in 2020 as a flagship river restoration initiative.
Although the Sheikh Hasina government commissioned feasibility studies and introduced the proposal, it stopped short of granting final approval or securing funding, partly because it sought to balance relations with both China and India while taking into account New Delhi's concerns over Chinese involvement near the Siliguri Corridor.
WHY DID BANGLADESH CHOOSE CHINA?
Bangladesh's decision to partner with China stems primarily from the project's enormous scale and the prolonged deadlock over water-sharing with India.
The project involves excavating approximately 140 million cubic metres of sediment, reclaiming 171 square kilometres of land, constructing 82 jetties, strengthening embankments and building a 224-kilometre road network along the river. The reclaimed area alone would be almost the size of Chandigarh and roughly one-eighth the area of Delhi.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has pledged to implement the project "at any cost."
Such an ambitious undertaking requires both substantial financial resources and advanced engineering capabilities. China possesses extensive experience in large-scale dam construction, flood management and river infrastructure. Chinese companies have already completed major infrastructure projects in Bangladesh, including the Padma Bridge, which opened in 2022.
The second factor is the unresolved Teesta water-sharing dispute between India and Bangladesh. For years, Dhaka has sought a greater share of the river's dry-season water to support irrigation. Although both countries broadly agreed on an interim arrangement in 2010, no final agreement was reached.
The primary obstacle has been opposition from former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who argued that allocating additional water to Bangladesh would adversely affect farmers in the state. Since water is a subject shared between the Centre and states under India's constitutional framework, New Delhi has been unable to move forward without the state's approval.
China also acted more quickly than India. While New Delhi offered to finance the $1-billion Teesta project in 2024, political instability following Sheikh Hasina's removal from office stalled negotiations. With India's proposal remaining unresolved during Muhammad Yunus's interim administration, the Tarique Rahman government revived cooperation with Beijing during the prime minister's visit to China.
WHY IS INDIA CONCERNED?
India's concerns about the China-Bangladesh agreement are rooted primarily in geography and national security.
The proposed project areas in Bangladesh's Nilphamari and Rangpur districts are located directly across from India's Jalpaiguri district, adjacent to the Siliguri Corridor. This narrow land corridor, just 22 kilometres wide at its narrowest point, serves as India's only land connection to its northeastern states. Any strategic activity in the surrounding region carries significant implications for India's security and connectivity.
According to Tara Kartha, China's expanding presence in Bangladesh reinforces India's broader two-front security challenge alongside Pakistan.
"India's northeastern border now reflects a clear two-front situation, with Pakistan and China increasingly complementing each other's strategic interests. Pakistan continues efforts to destabilise the Northeast, while China's presence in Bangladesh has expanded considerably. Beijing has also strengthened ties with organisations such as Jamaat-e-Islami while effectively projecting its soft power," she said.
In their 2024 ORF analysis, Sohini Bose and Anasua Basu Ray Chaudhury argued that increased Chinese involvement in the Teesta Basin could heighten internal instability, create security risks and intensify geopolitical competition in an already sensitive region.
They contended that Chinese participation could transform what has traditionally been a bilateral water-sharing dispute into a broader strategic security issue because of the project's proximity to the Siliguri Corridor.
The prospect of a substantial Chinese presence—including engineers, surveyors and technical personnel—operating close to this strategically vital region is therefore viewed as a significant security concern in New Delhi.
INDIA'S POSITION
Although India's proposal to finance the Teesta project did not materialise, New Delhi continues to engage Bangladesh on broader river water-sharing issues.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stated in October 2025 that discussions with Bangladesh on water-related matters, including the Ganges and Teesta agreements, would continue through established bilateral mechanisms.
"The Ganges Water Treaty remains in force, and discussions on related issues will continue within the framework of the Joint Rivers Commission," Misri was quoted as saying by Bangladesh's The Daily Star.
On June 3, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India's views on the Teesta project had already been conveyed to Bangladesh and that future developments would be taken into account while formulating New Delhi's overall approach.
"India's development cooperation with Bangladesh is based on a mutually agreed roadmap that is reviewed regularly. Our position on the Teesta River project has already been communicated to the Bangladesh side, and we will factor all related developments into our broader approach," Jaiswal said, according to ANI.
Tara Kartha argued that India should respond by accelerating the implementation of strategic infrastructure projects and improving their execution. She also suggested that New Delhi could involve countries such as Japan and Russia in development initiatives to strengthen the presence of trusted partners in the region.
She further emphasised the need for India to project a positive image in Bangladesh and ensure that political messaging, particularly in border states, supports broader diplomatic objectives.
"Chief ministers should not be commenting on foreign policy matters," Kartha added.
Whether the feasibility study ultimately leads to full implementation of the Teesta project remains uncertain. However, if China secures a long-term role in developing the Teesta Basin, the river could evolve beyond an India-Bangladesh water-sharing dispute into another arena of strategic competition between India and China.
