Bangladesh will move quickly to complete the feasibility study needed to begin work on the long-awaited Teesta master plan following China's agreement to provide technical assistance, Water Resources Minister Shahiduddin Chowdhury Anee has said.
The minister made the remarks to the media while accompanying Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on his state visit to China, reports bdnews24.com.
"We have reached an agreement with China on carrying out a feasibility study for the Teesta. We will jointly complete the study and hope to finish it as quickly as possible," he said.
He said Bangladesh had also sought China's cooperation on broader river management, including rivers linked to shared water resources.
"We will coordinate on those rivers as well. Based on China's support for the Teesta project, we will soon decide the implementation timeline. We want to take the Teesta plan to the people as quickly as possible. We are paying special attention so work can begin under this budget," the minister said.
Anee said the Teesta project featured prominently in discussions during the prime minister's meetings with Chinese leaders.
"Our prime minister raised the Teesta issue several times, including with the Chinese president and the Chinese premier," he said.
He said China's minister of water resources attended a meeting with Tarique, alongside other ministers and advisors from both countries.
"Following those discussions, it was agreed that, after such a long wait, technical assistance is essential to addressing the suffering of hundreds of thousands of people living in the Teesta basin. China has agreed to support a feasibility study," he said.
The minister also highlighted the long-standing ties between Bangladesh and China.
"Bangladesh and China have enjoyed a friendship for many years. The relationship was established under president Ziaur Rahman in 1976. He visited China twice during his lifetime," Anee said.
"Later, Khaleda Zia visited China seven times, further strengthening bilateral ties. Both countries highly value this longstanding relationship."
Tarique travelled to China on Jun 22, first attending the World Economic Forum meeting in Dalian before beginning a three-day state visit in Beijing on Wednesday.
On Thursday, he held bilateral talks with his Chinese counterpart Li Qiang at the Great Hall of the People.
On Friday, the prime minister held bilateral and one-on-one meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping.