After eight years of signing Framework Agreement on Cooperation for Development with New Delhi, Dhaka has taken the initiative to form a river basin organization.
The initiative was taken in view of the framework agreement signed in 2011 for water resource management and development of cross-border rivers through sub-regional cooperation, Finance Minister AHM Mostafa Kamal said in his budget speech,
“We have undertaken a plan to form an organization based on Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna river basins, such as the River Basin Organisation/River Basin Commission,” he said.
It is mentionable here that the agreement was signed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the then Indian premier Manmohan Singh in 2011 when he came to Dhaka.
The Article 2 of the agreement said , “To enhance cooperation in sharing of the waters of common rivers, both Parties will explore the possibilities of common basin management of common rivers for mutual benefit. The Parties will cooperate in flood forecasting and control. They will cooperate and provide necessary assistance to each other to enhance navigability and accessibility of river routes and ports.”