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{{Short description|MoU between India and Bangladesh on Kushiara River Water Sharing}}
{{Infobox treaty
| name = Kushiyara Water Sharing Agreement
| long_name = Memorandum of Understanding on the Withdrawal of Water from the Kushiyara River
| image = Kushiara Water Sharing Deal, 6 September 2022.jpg
| image_size = 250px
| alt =
| caption =
| type = [[Memorandum of Understanding]]
| context = Water sharing agreement between Bangladesh and India for the [[Kushiyara River]]
| date_drafted = August 25, 2022
| date_signed = {{Start date|2022|09|06}}
| location_signed = [[Hyderabad House]], [[New Delhi]], [[India]]
| date_effective = September 6, 2022
| negotiators = {{Bulleted list|[[Zahid Faruk]], [[Ministry of Water Resources|State Minister for Water Resources, Bangladesh]]|[[Gajendra Singh Shekhawat]], [[Ministry of Jal Shakti|Minister of Jal Shakti, India]]}}
| original_signatories = {{Bulleted list|[[Sheikh Hasina]], [[Prime Minister of Bangladesh]]|[[Narendra Modi]], [[Prime Minister of India]]}}
| signatories = {{Bulleted list|{{Flag icon|Bangladesh}} [[Sheikh Hasina]]|{{Flag icon|India}}
[[Narendra Modi]]}}
| parties = {{Bulleted list|{{Flag|Bangladesh}}|{{Flag|India}}}}
| language = [[English language|English]]
}}

The '''Kushiyara Water Sharing Agreement''' is a memorandum of understanding signed between [[Bangladesh]] and [[India]] on September 6, 2022, centered around the [[Kushiyara River]]. According to this agreement, Bangladesh will withdraw 153 cusecs of water from the Kushiyara River at the Rahimpur canal point in Sylhet.

== Background ==
Originating from the Angami Naga hills in northern Manipur, India, the Barak River flows through the Cachar district of Manipur and enters Bangladesh via Badarpur and Sylhet. At a place called Amalshid, located on the Sylhet border, the Barak River splits into two branches — one becomes the Surma River, and the other the Kushiyara River. The Kushiyara River is 120 miles long.<ref>{{Cite Banglapedia|article=Kushiyara River|article-url=Kushiyara River}}</ref> India had long-standing objections to the use of water from the Kushiyara River for agricultural purposes through the Rahimpur canal. To resolve this issue, discussions began in January 2021 during a meeting of the working group of the Joint Rivers Commission.<ref>{{Cite web |title= |script-title=bn:কুশিয়ারার পানি নিয়ে ভারতের সঙ্গে চুক্তি করতে চায় বাংলাদেশ |trans-title=Bangladesh wants to sign agreement with India on Kushiyara water |url=https://www.banglatribune.com/national/663866/%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%B6%E0%A6%BF%E0%A7%9F%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%AA%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BF-%E0%A6%A8%E0%A6%BF%E0%A7%9F%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%AD%E0%A6%BE%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%87%E0%A6%B0-%E0%A6%B8%E0%A6%99%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%97%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%9A%E0%A7%81%E0%A6%95%E0%A7%8D%E0%A6%A4%E0%A6%BF-%E0%A6%95%E0%A6%B0%E0%A6%A4%E0%A7%87-%E0%A6%9A%E0%A6%BE%E0%A7%9F |access-date=2025-04-30 |website=[[Bangla Tribune]] |language=bn}}</ref> On August 25, during a ministerial-level meeting of the Bangladesh-India Joint Rivers Commission (JRC), a draft memorandum of understanding was finalized regarding the withdrawal of water from the Kushiyara River flowing into Sylhet from India. On behalf of Bangladesh, State Minister for Water Resources Zahid Faruk led the delegation, while on behalf of India, Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat led theirs.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-08-25 |title=Bangladesh, India reach consensus on Kushiyara water sharing |url=https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/e4rwt0pdsn |access-date=2025-04-30 |website=[[Prothomalo]] |language=en |archive-date=2025-02-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250216055241/https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/e4rwt0pdsn |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=India, Bangladesh Sign Pact on Sharing Waters of Kushiyara River |url=https://thediplomat.com/2022/09/india-bangladesh-sign-pact-on-sharing-waters-of-kushiyara-river/ |access-date=2025-04-30 |website=[[thediplomat.com]] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Kushiyara River: Dhaka, Delhi finalize text of MoU to share water |url=https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/foreign-affairs/292943/kushiyara-river-dhaka-delhi-finalize-text-of-mou |access-date=2025-04-30 |website=[[Dhaka Tribune]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-06 |title=India, Bangladesh ink first water sharing pact in 25 years; Hasina flags Teesta |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2022/sep/06/india-bangladesh-ink-first-water-sharing-pact-in-25-years-hasina-flags-teesta-2495442.html |access-date=2025-04-30 |website=[[The New Indian Express]] |language=en |archive-date=2022-09-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220907070646/https://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2022/sep/06/india-bangladesh-ink-first-water-sharing-pact-in-25-years-hasina-flags-teesta-2495442.html |url-status=live }}</ref> On September 6, a total of seven memorandums of understanding, including this one, were signed between the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, and the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. In this agreement, India agreed to allow Bangladesh to withdraw 153 cusecs of water from the Kushiyara River at the Rahimpur point.<ref>{{Cite news |title= |script-title=bn:হাসিনা-মোদী বৈঠক: অধরাই রয়ে গেল তিস্তা, রফা হলো কুশিয়ারার পানি বন্টনে |trans-title=Hasina-Modi meeting: Teesta remains elusive, Kushiyara water sharing reaches a deadlock |url=https://www.bbc.com/bengali/news-62809532 |access-date=2025-04-30 |work=[[BBC News]] বাংলা |language=bn |archive-date=2022-09-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220909073234/https://www.bbc.com/bengali/news-62809532 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=India, Bangladesh sign agreement for water-sharing of River Kushiyara |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/india/india-bangladesh-sign-agreement-for-water-sharing-of-river-kushiyara-1142852.html |access-date=2025-04-30 |website=[[Deccan Herald]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Bhattacherjee |first=Kallol |date=2022-09-11 |title=Explained {{!}} Why is the Kushiyara river treaty between India and Bangladesh important? |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/explained-why-is-the-kushiyara-river-treaty-between-india-and-bangladesh-important/article65874597.ece |url-access=subscription |access-date=2025-04-30 |work=[[The Hindu]] |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X |archive-date=2023-10-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231004034639/https://www.thehindu.com/news/international/explained-why-is-the-kushiyara-river-treaty-between-india-and-bangladesh-important/article65874597.ece |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-06 |title=India, Bangladesh sign water-sharing deal, in boost to ties |url=https://apnews.com/article/elections-india-bangladesh-new-delhi-430183c2370f3feffe61343c3b3c87d8 |access-date=2025-04-30 |website=[[Associated Press]] |language=en |archive-date=2023-03-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230329215457/https://apnews.com/article/elections-india-bangladesh-new-delhi-430183c2370f3feffe61343c3b3c87d8 |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Benefits of the agreement ==
No irrigation water was available in the seven upazilas at the Rahimpur point, and during the dry season, no agricultural activities could be carried out in the entire region. Due to the lack of irrigation water, for most of the year the agricultural land in that entire area remained completely barren. Between 2011 and 2015, Bangladesh constructed a pump house and a dam at the Rahimpur point. The Surma-Kushiyara Project was implemented by the Water Development Board to make this possible.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kushiyara water-sharing: How Bangladesh benefits from the agreement with India |url=https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/tni7wsc4j3 |access-date=2025-04-30 |website=[[bdnews24.com]] |language=en |archive-date=2022-09-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220925093629/https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/tni7wsc4j3 |url-status=live }}</ref> As a result of the agreement, more than a hundred thousand people in the region will benefit. Boro cultivation will also become possible in the haor areas downstream of the canal, and fish farming will increase.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-09-07 |title=Kushiyara water-sharing deal: Hope rekindled after all these years |url=https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/kushiyara-water-sharing-deal-hope-after-all-these-years-3113066 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240912233420/https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/kushiyara-water-sharing-deal-hope-after-all-these-years-3113066 |archive-date=2024-09-12 |access-date=2025-04-30 |work=[[The Daily Star (Bangladesh)]] |language=en |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Reaction ==
Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shahriar Alam, termed this agreement a major achievement for Bangladesh.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kushiara water sharing deal is Bangladesh's big achievement: Shahriar {{!}} News Flash |url=https://www.bssnews.net/news-flash/81050 |access-date=2025-04-30 |website=[[Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-07 |title='Kushiara water sharing deal is Bangladesh's big achievement' {{!}} |url=https://en.bd-pratidin.com/national/2022/09/07/1070 |access-date=2025-04-30 |website=[[Bangladesh Pratidin]] |language=bn}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-07 |title=Kushiara water sharing deal is Bangladesh's big achievement: Shahriar |url=https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/kushiara-water-sharing-deal-bangladeshs-big-achievement-shahriar-491582 |access-date=2025-04-30 |website=[[The Business Standard]] |language=en}}</ref>

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Water resource management in India]]
[[Category:Treaties of Bangladesh]]
[[Category:Treaties of India]]
[[Category:Bangladesh–India relations]]
[[Category:2022 in international relations]]
[[Category:2022 in Bangladesh]]
[[Category:2022 in India]]
[[Category:Treaties concluded in 2022]]

Kushiyara Water Sharing Agreement - Revision history

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