Bangladesh halts major India projects amid reassessment
Dhaka’s interim administration halts or reconsiders several agreements signed under Hasina government amid reassessment of bilateral terms
DHAKA, Bangladesh (MNTV) — Bangladesh’s interim government has cancelled ten projects and agreements previously signed with India, marking the most extensive review of bilateral cooperation since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s departure from office.
The move was announced by Local Government Advisor Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain, who published a summary on his verified Facebook page on Sunday. He stated that the review began soon after the interim administration took office and that “the decision was made following a proper assessment.”
The cancelled or suspended projects include several high-profile connectivity and water-sharing initiatives central to India’s regional outreach strategy.
Among them are the Tripura–Chattogram rail link, designed to give India’s landlocked northeast access to Bangladeshi seaports; the Abhaypur–Akhaura railway expansion near the eastern frontier; and the Ashuganj–Agartala transport corridor, which would have allowed Indian cargo transit through Bangladesh.
Also affected are the Feni River water management project in southeastern Bangladesh and infrastructure efforts aimed at expanding road and waterway routes linked to Indian port access. Two Indian Economic Zones — one in Mirsarai, a coastal industrial hub near Chattogram, and another at Mongla, Bangladesh’s second-largest seaport — are now under review.
Bhuyain’s list further includes Bangladesh’s earlier proposals for financial cooperation in Farakka-related projects along the Ganges basin and a tugboat agreement with Indian state-owned defence manufacturer Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE).
The Kushiyara River water-sharing project has been suspended pending further study, while the long-delayed Teesta River treaty — a politically sensitive issue for both Dhaka and New Delhi — is now under discussion for possible implementation.
The interim government is also reconsidering the electricity import deal with Adani Power, an Indian conglomerate that faced domestic criticism for high tariffs, and reviewing the Ganges water-sharing treaty, which is due for renewal in 2026.
Foreign Advisor Touhid Hossain declined to elaborate when questioned by reporters on Monday, saying only, “I will not say anything about this today.”
Analysts see the cancellations as part of Dhaka’s broader effort to reassert sovereignty and policy autonomy following years of unequal dependence on India for trade and infrastructure support.
The review, they argue, reflects rising domestic sentiment that Bangladesh should renegotiate bilateral deals to secure fairer terms on energy pricing, water distribution, and access to critical transport corridors.
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