Excessive upstream water withdrawal by India major concern for Bangladesh: Manzur Ahmed

Excessive upstream water withdrawal by India is a major concern for Bangladesh, said Dr Manzur Ahmed Chowdhury, former chairman of the Centre for Governance Studies (CGS).

He made the remarks at a session titled “Water, River and Regional Diplomacy” at the Bay of Bengal Conversation 2026 in Dhaka today (5 October).

“Bangladesh has legitimate concerns about upstream withdrawals, diversions and dry-season flows. We recognise that India has its own requirements for agriculture, drinking water, energy and development. Unfortunately, India does not consider our need for water during the dry season. Excessive upstream water withdrawal is a great concern for Bangladesh,” he said.

However, he said water diplomacy should not focus only on how much water Bangladesh and India receive.

“We need to ask, how can the entire river basin become more water secure?” he said.

Manzur said Bangladesh and India need to move beyond simply sharing water and focus on sharing knowledge and information.

He called for transparent river-flow data, improved flood forecasting and greater cooperation on rainfall, sediment, groundwater and water quality. The two countries should also conduct joint scientific assessments of climate change, he said.

“Most importantly, we must think in terms of river basins rather than political boundaries. Political boundaries can divide countries, but they cannot divide a river system,” he said.

He said Nepal and other countries connected to the wider river system should also be included in regional water diplomacy.

“Therefore, our future water diplomacy needs to become basin-wide and multilateral, supported by diplomats, hydrologists, ecologists, river scientists and international water law experts,” he said.

Manzur also stressed the need for future water agreements to be climate-resilient, as rainfall is becoming less predictable, floods and droughts are becoming more extreme, the Himalayas are changing, and coastal Bangladesh is facing increasing salinity.