New Delhi: Amid a diplomatic freeze in New Delhi-Dhaka relations, Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen Monday visited the Teesta river project area, close to India’s Siliguri corridor, or the ‘Chicken’s Neck’.
Yao Wen was accompanied by Bangladeshi officials of the Muhammad Yunus-led interim administration and was linked to a “technical assessment” of the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project.
The Chinese ambassador, along with senior officials of the Bangladesh Water Development Board, inspected erosion-affected areas adjacent to the Kaunia Bridge, according to media reports.
On Sunday, Bangladesh interim leader Muhammad Yunus had posted on ‘X’ that Yao met National Security Adviser (NSA) Khalilur Rahman and discussed issues of mutual interest, including the Teesta project.
Chinese Ambassador Meets the National Security Adviser
Dhaka, January 18, 2026: The Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Bangladesh, Mr. Yao Wen, paid a courtesy call on the National Security Adviser, Dr Khalilur Rahman at the Chief Adviser's Office on Sunday.
The… pic.twitter.com/szOKQWC25v
— Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh (@ChiefAdviserGoB) January 18, 2026
Last year, in his meeting with Chinese officials, Yunus claimed that Bangladesh was the only gateway to the ocean in South Asia, challenging India’s longstanding position as the trade hub for the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) region.
In March that year, Yunus had welcomed Chinese participation in the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project during his official visit to China. It was also his first bilateral visit since assuming the role as chief adviser to Bangladesh’s interim administration in August 2024.
On Monday, the Chinese envoy was accompanied by Bangladesh water resources adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan, who told local reporters that China was keen to begin implementation of the Teesta Master Plan as soon as possible.
“Bangladesh and Chinese governments remain committed to the Teesta Mega Plan, which will be implemented after proper verification and scrutiny to avoid future mistakes and meet long-standing public expectations,” Daily Star quoted her as saying.
“China is providing technical and financial support for the Teesta River management and large-scale development project. China is fully committed to implementing the Teesta Mega Plan. Today’s visit is an important part of that process.”
Rizwana added that political parties across Bangladesh pledged support for the Teesta project in their manifestos, ahead of the February parliamentary elections.
She also said two key studies were currently underway—a technical one to assess whether the feasibility study is fully accurate and effective, and a financial study “to determine whether the large investment will be sustainable for the Chinese government.”
Yao,meanwhile, said the visit would help shape future plans and expressed hope that implementation of the Teesta Mega Plan would begin very soon. There was “no geopolitical pressure regarding the project and reaffirmed China’s commitment to completing the ongoing technical evaluation quickly”, Daily Star quoted him as saying.
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China’s involvement
Originating in Sikkim, Teesta covers 414 km, of which 113 km in Bangladesh. China’s involvement in Teesta dates back to 2016 when it signed an MoU with Bangladesh to conduct the technical study on management of Teesta. It was signed between Bangladesh Water Development Board and PowerChina to conduct studies near the Rangpur region.
The Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project was signed in May 2019 and aims to oversee river training to control Teesta, creation of new embankments and repairing of existing ones, land reclamation by dredged materials and management of dry season flow by building storage. The proposed embankment is 102 km, from Teesta Barrage to the confluence at Chilmari in Rangpur, Bangladesh.
In 2020, China offered a $987 million loan to Bangladesh under the restoration project, prompting the visit of then Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla to Dhaka for a bilateral meeting.
Teesta’s waters are used for irrigation in around five Bangladesh districts of Nilphamari, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Gaibandha and Rangpur—where 63 percent of the crop is irrigation dependent. Bangladesh blames the lean season from December to May when India’s Gazaldoba Barrage upstream in North Bengal diverts water. An agreement to minimise economic losses by regulating seasonal water flows has been in negotiation for a long time, but has not been agreed upon yet.
In 2011, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was about to sign an interim agreement during his visit to Dhaka. India would have to retain 42.5 percent of the water during the dry season, and keep 37.5 percent for Bangladesh. But, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee refused, contending that the river doesn’t have enough water to share.
In June 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina of a “fair solution” with Mamata in tow, but nothing materialised over the years.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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