More than two months after seeking $550 million from China to fund the first phase of the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project, Bangladesh is still waiting for a formal response, officials have said.
In July, the government submitted a funding request to Beijing but has not received any reply, a Ministry of Finance (MoF) official confirmed.
"We sent the project proposal to Beijing more than two months ago and have since issued reminders to our key bilateral development partner. But we are still awaiting a response," he said.
The first phase of the cross-border Teesta River management scheme requires $747 million, of which Dhaka has sought $550 million from China, MoF sources noted.
Preliminary estimates suggest Bangladesh will need a total of $1.57 billion for the full "Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project."
The Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB), with technical assistance from Beijing, prepared the cost and work plan for managing the river on the Bangladeshi side.
Officials stressed that upstream restrictions on the Teesta's water flow by India have severely affected downstream communities in Bangladesh, where millions rely on the river.
"As victims of India's upstream restrictions, we need to restore and manage the Teesta's flow. Given China's expertise in river management, we requested its support," the MoF official explained. "We remain hopeful of receiving assistance from the world's second-largest economy."
The Teesta River stretches 414 km (257 miles), originating in the Pauhunri Mountain of the eastern Himalayas. It flows through the Indian states of Sikkim and West Bengal before entering Bangladesh via Rangpur Division, eventually merging with the Jamuna River and draining into the Bay of Bengal.
Of its total length, 305 km (190 miles) lies in India and 109 km (68 miles) in Bangladesh. The river drains an area of 12,540 square km, serving as Sikkim's largest river and West Bengal's second largest after the Ganges.
In Bangladesh, it flows through Lalmonirhat, Rangpur, Kurigram, and Gaibandha districts before joining the Jamuna at Phulchhari Upazila.
Under Phase 1, Bangladesh plans to reclaim and develop land, construct embankments, groynes and spurs, carry out dredging, and conduct environmental and social impact assessments.
Phase 2 would focus on river regime control, flood management, improved navigation, township development, restoration of local livelihoods, and ensuring water flow across the river's full stretch in Bangladesh.
Meanwhile, reports indicate that the Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh recently conveyed Beijing's investment interest in the Teesta project during a meeting with Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam.
According to local media, the ambassador said China had shown strong interest in the Teesta Masterplan, with a team of Chinese experts expected to visit in the coming months for an on-site assessment.
When asked, a senior MoF official reiterated: "We have not yet received any response from China regarding our funding request. Only once Beijing formally responds can we confirm their investment plans."
Officials noted that the issue remains pending partly because both India and China-Bangladesh's neighbours and upstream stakeholders-are interested in the project.
Bangladesh first sought financial support from China in March 2021. After two years, in March 2023, Beijing sent observations and recommendations, asking Dhaka to submit a preliminary development project proposal (PDPP).
In the meantime, Chinese company PowerChina carried out a feasibility study on the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project.
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