Transit for Water

India´s proposal for allowing more dry seasonal flow of the Ganga into Bangladesh in exchange for gaining the right of transit to reach the Northeast from the Indian mainland is a subject ready made to pull down precariously situated governments in Dhaka. It was perhaps this late realisation that led the Indian side in the recent negotiations to back-pedal on what has been a constant in New Delhi´s stance vis-a-vis Dhaka. In fact, the "transit for water" issue was very much a part of the Indian position at the beginning of the most recent negotiations which led to the Farakka accord of December. During his first visit to Dhaka in July, Indian Foreign Secretary Salman Haider unequivocably linked Ganga water-sharing with overland access to the Northeast. When asked about the link between transit and sharing water, Mr Haider said, "Transit occupies a pivotal consideration in our thinking."

During the time of Begum Khaleda Zia´s government in August 1992, India proposed that Bangladesh allow rail and road traffic rights, the use of the seaport and airport in Chittagong, and export of Bangladeshi natural gas to India, all in return for increasing the Ganga´s flow for Bangladesh at Farakka. Early 1994 saw some new features added to the old proposal: supply of electricity to India from gas-operated power plants in Bangladesh and setting up of petroleum, chemical and fertiliser factories along the border to supply the Indian market.