Teesta project: Interested China to send technical team in next few months, Ambassador says
Bangladesh has sought China’s support, including a loan, to implement the Teesta masterplan, a flagship river management and restoration project.
Beijing, too, has shown keen interest in implementing the project. Within the coming months, a Chinese team of technical experts will visit Bangladesh to conduct an on-site assessment of the project.
Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen conveyed this message to Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam during a discussion in the capital on Monday morning.
Diplomatic sources confirmed that Bangladesh has requested a loan of around $550 million (55 crore) from China for the project, to which Beijing has responded positively.
Ambassador Yao stressed China’s strong interest in the scheme, a position that the Bangladesh government has welcomed.
The envoy noted that discussions with Bangladesh’s Economic Relations Division (ERD) under the Ministry of Finance are already under way regarding the Teesta project.
The meeting also covered updates on decisions taken during Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus’s recent visit to China.
Other issues included the construction of hospitals in Bangladesh under Chinese financing and various other development projects.
In addition, China reiterated its earlier invitation for Bangladesh to join President Xi Jinping’s Global Governance Initiative (GGI).
Yao Wen explained the details of the initiative and underscored President Xi’s strong interest in Bangladesh’s participation.
He also informed the foreign secretary that Chinese investment in Bangladesh since the July uprising has exceeded $800 million (80 crore), the largest in this period.
Following the Chief Adviser’s visit to China in March, the interim government accelerated efforts to move the Teesta project forward.
In May, the Ministry of Water Resources wrote a letter to the Planning Commission, confirming its intention to seek a Chinese loan.
Later, in July, the ERD sent a formal request to the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka, seeking $550 million for the “Comprehensive Management and Restoration of Teesta River Project”.
Dhaka is aiming to conclude a financial agreement with Beijing within this year.
Both China and India had previously shown interest in the implementation of the Teesta Masterplan.
In May 2024, India’s the then-Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra signalled New Delhi’s willingness to invest in the Teesta scheme. The ousted Awami League government had also favoured Indian financing.
Speaking about this at a press conference at Gonobhaban on 14 July 2024, former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, “China is ready, but I want India to do it. If India takes up this project, they will continue providing everything required for it. That’s the plain truth, there’s nothing to hide.”
The estimated cost for the project’s first phase is $750 million (75 crore), of which Bangladesh is seeking $550 million from China, with the remainder to be covered by domestic financing.
Work is scheduled to begin in 2026 and be completed by 2029.