Hope rises for Teesta mega plan

Hope has emerged for the people of five northern districts who have long dreamed of implementing the Teesta Mega Plan. Although the loan sought from China during the interim government has faded from the spotlight, the Water Resources Ministry has now restarted work on a feasibility study for the mega plan. China will take the next steps after receiving the study report prepared by the ministry. The Economic Relations Division (ERD) has provided this information.

According to sources, the initiative has gained momentum following Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s recent visit to China. For a long time, there was uncertainty over whether India or China would be involved. India had been the first choice of the previous Awami League government. After putting an end to speculation, the interim government sought a loan of $550 million, equivalent to approximately Tk 67.1 billion, from China to implement the project. However, China adopted a cautious approach to the loan proposal. Meanwhile, although the Teesta Mega Plan was discussed during Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s recent visit to China, the loan was not discussed. The ERD is also not considering the loan for now.

Several senior officials of the agency told Agamir Somoy last Thursday that the Teesta Mega Plan is a much-anticipated project for Bangladesh. Although China had previously shown considerable interest in financing it, the country is no longer discussing the matter for unknown reasons. Even during Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit to China, there was no discussion of the previously requested loan. As a result, the loan’s fate has become uncertain. However, responsibility for moving the Teesta Mega Plan forward now rests with the Water Resources Ministry. The sooner it completes the feasibility study and sends the report to China, the better.

A Water Resources Ministry official said in this regard, “The feasibility study has begun. However, there are no Chinese experts involved. Bangladesh’s Institute of Water Modelling (IWM) and the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) are conducting the study jointly.” In response to a question, the official said, “I cannot say whether this report will be sent to China.”

According to sources, the Water Resources Ministry sent a letter to the Planning Commission on May 26, 2025, seeking funding for the Comprehensive Management and Restoration of Teesta River Project. The letter mentioned the proposed Chinese loan for implementing the Teesta project. Later, in July of that year, the ERD sent a letter to the Chinese Embassy requesting the loan. The letter stated that the first phase of the Teesta project would cost $750 million, or approximately Tk 91.5 billion. Of this amount, Bangladesh sought a loan of $550 million, equivalent to approximately Tk 67.1 billion, from China. The remaining funds would come from the government’s own resources. The Water Resources Ministry had planned to implement the project between 2026 and June 2029.

Sources said the Teesta River is approximately 240 years old and is connected to the flow of 25 rivers in the northern region. During the dry season, the river dries up almost completely. It flows through Nilphamari and Lalmonirhat districts, as well as the Rajarhat, Ulipur and Chilmari areas of Kurigram; Gangachara, Kaunia and Pirgachha in Rangpur; and Sundarganj upazila in Gaibandha. However, Gangachara upazila in Rangpur suffers the most during the dry season. Seven of the upazila’s nine unions are surrounded by the Teesta River. Due to the absence of river management measures, the river has changed its course over the past five years.

If the Teesta Mega Plan is implemented, the riverbank areas could be transformed into a beautiful urban landscape similar to Suqian city in China’s eastern Jiangsu province. China’s Yellow River, or Huang He, was once known as China’s Sorrow. Every year, its waters inundated hundreds of miles of land, destroying villages, roads, pathways and settlements. River management measures helped ease the suffering of the Chinese people. The Yellow River has now become a blessing for China’s farmers. For years, people in the Rangpur region of Bangladesh have been calling for dredging the Teesta, known locally as the “mad river,” to relieve the suffering of millions of people, just as river management transformed the Yellow River in China.