Bangladesh’s BNP Welcomes BJP’s West Bengal Victory, Sees Fresh Hope for Teesta Water Deal

After BJP’s stunning win in West Bengal, Bangladesh’s BNP says Suvendu Adhikari’s government could finally break the decade-long deadlock over the Teesta Water Sharing Treaty blaming Mamata Banerjee’s TMC for stalling progress all along.

BNP Sends Congratulations to BJP After West Bengal Election Upset

Bangladesh’s main opposition party the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) made a bold diplomatic gesture this week. The party publicly congratulated the Bharatiya Janata Party on its landmark electoral win in West Bengal. BNP Information Secretary Azizul Baree Helal spoke to reporters and praised the BJP’s victory under Suvendu Adhikari’s leadership.

“I congratulate the winner, Suvendu Adhikari’s BJP party. I think this victory of the BJP, under the leadership of Suvendu Adhikari, will ensure the relationship between West Bengal and the Bangladesh government remains the same as before, in a good manner. The relationship will be built up. I congratulate the BJP’s win,” said Azizul Baree Helal.

This kind of cross-border political endorsement is rare and it carried a clear message. Dhaka is watching the power shift in Kolkata with genuine hope. Helal stressed that the change in West Bengal’s government could strengthen ties between Bangladesh and the neighbouring Indian state.

Teesta Water Deal: A Dream Stuck for Over a Decade

The real heart of the BNP’s statement? The Teesta Water Sharing Treaty. This long-pending agreement has been stuck in political limbo for more than ten years. Helal didn’t hold back he placed the blame squarely on the outgoing Trinamool Congress leadership.

“Actually, previously we saw that Mamata Banerjee was actually the impediment to establishing the Teesta Barrage. Now, in my opinion, since the BJP won the election under Suvendu’s leadership, the Teesta Barrage agreement which was very much desired by the Bangladesh government and the Modi government will be helped by Suvendu. I think the Teesta Barrage project will be implemented under the BJP government now that they have seized power instead of the Trinamool Congress,” said Azizul Baree Helal.

The BNP believes Suvendu Adhikari’s government will align with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s long-standing push to close this deal something Mamata Banerjee’s administration consistently resisted.

A Complicated River History Between Two Neighbours

The Teesta dispute runs deep. Back in 1983, India and Bangladesh agreed on an ad-hoc arrangement Bangladesh got 36% of the water flow, India got 39%, and the remaining 25% stayed unresolved. That agreement was never fully put into practice.

In 2011, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Dhaka with what looked like a breakthrough deal 37.5% for Bangladesh and 42.5% for India. West Bengal’s government, however, pushed back hard arguing the share would hurt its own farmers and agricultural output. The deal collapsed before ink touched paper.

Modi’s 2015 Dhaka visit stirred fresh expectations. Yet the deadlock held firm. Today, India and Bangladesh share 54 common rivers but only two formal treaties exist: the Ganga Waters Treaty and the Kushiyara River Treaty. The Teesta and Feni rivers remain unresolved, caught in an endless loop of negotiation.

Ideology Aside Shared Interests Bring BNP and BJP Together

The BNP and BJP sit on different sides of the ideological spectrum. Yet Helal made it clear national interest cuts through political differences.

“We have a good relationship. Ideologically, we are different, but on some issues, we are very much united like the Teesta Barrage and the general relationship between Bangladesh and India. On an issue basis, we are united, even if ideologically separated. I think with the new government in West Bengal, our relationship will be accelerated more and more,” said Azizul Baree Helal.

Bangladesh’s junior foreign minister, however, offered a more measured view stating that BJP’s win in West Bengal would not alter his country’s broader foreign policy direction. Still, for a river dispute that has frustrated both nations for decades, even cautious optimism carries weight.