10.3 India – Bangladesh Relations · Part 3

provided a chance for India to have a friendly neighbor. In January , Mujibur Rahman assumed power as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and his tenure happened to be one of the best times in India – Bangladesh Relations. His tenure also witnessed the signing of Indo-Bangladesh Friendship Treaty. Sheikh Hazina and Begum Khaleda Zia Major Issues in Indo Bangladesh Relations . The Farakka Barrage: Of the various issues responsible for deteriorating Indo- Bangladesh relations, commissioning Farakka dam in West Bengal, about miles from Bangladesh’s border, has perhaps attracted the most International attention. India maintains that it needs the barrage for the purpose of flushing the Hooghly River to make it free from silt and therefore keep the port of Calcutta operational and also to meet the demand from Kolkata for industrial and domestic use, and for irrigation purposes in other parts of West Bengal. Despite the negotiations since ’s at both regional and international levels, both the nations have still not been able to reconcile with a proper solution. . Sharing of Teesta Water: The Teesta River originates from Teesta Kangse glacier about , metres ( , ft.) height and flows southward to Sikkim, West Bengal and Bangladesh. This river merges with the Brahmaputra river when it enters Bangladesh and ends in the ( The Resolution: In Permanent Court of Arbitration (PAC) the dispute was settled in July by a final verdict not open to appeal and in favour of Bangladesh. The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) verdict awarded Bangladesh with , km out of , km disputed area with India in the Bay of Bengal. However New Moore Island has fallen in India’s part of the Bay of Bengal.                    
    E W N S Not to Scale India and Bangladesh have a , km land border and , km of riverine boundary. They also share common rivers, including the Brahmaputra. India’ s West Bengal,