Weeks before expiry of Ganga Water Treaty, MEA says ‘structured mechanism’ remains in place for pact
MEA official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterates that India has invited the Bangladesh Prime Minister to visit New Delhi but that there is neither any ‘update’ on the treaty’s renewal nor on the dates for the trip
On November 3, 2026, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reaffirmed its commitment to a "structured mechanism" for addressing the requirements of the Ganga Water Treaty, which is set to expire in December. Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal announced that India had extended an invitation to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to visit New Delhi, but there was no update on the treaty's renewal or the dates for the trip.
The MEA spokesperson emphasized India's desire to maintain a positive relationship with Bangladesh. The Ganga Water Treaty, signed in 1996, is a three-decade old agreement that requires expert-level and political consultations for renewal. While Bangladesh had previously indicated that they expected an automatic short-term renewal after the treaty's expiry, Indian officials have not confirmed this yet.
The MEA spokesperson also noted that they were aware of the ongoing protests in Bangladesh by readymade garment industry workers who were demanding fair wages amid high inflation and an electricity crisis.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
