Bangladesh Must Strengthen Ties with India to Face China’s $170 Billion Brahmaputra Dam Threat
China is building a massive $170 billion hydropower dam in Tibet on the Brahmaputra River – known in Bangladesh as the Jamuna. For Bangladesh, where more than 160 million people depend on this river, the project could bring severe and lasting harm.
According to a Northeast News report, this dam is not just a huge engineering project – it is a warning. It exposes Bangladesh’s misplaced trust in Beijing and its failure to prepare for China’s growing control over regional water resources.
The Most Damaging Impact: Sediment Loss
The most dangerous effect of the dam will be its impact on sediment flow. The Brahmaputra carries nutrient-rich sediments that keep Bangladesh’s delta soil fertile. If China blocks this flow, Bangladesh’s farmland could lose its fertility, cutting rice harvests by millions of tons every year.
The report warns that China has acted in similar ways on other transboundary rivers. On the Mekong, its upstream dams have caused major problems for Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. In the case of the Brahmaputra, Beijing has refused to share full environmental impact studies or hydrological data with Bangladesh, claiming “sovereignty.”
This secrecy, the report says, is part of China’s “build first, talk later” strategy.
What Bangladesh Must Do
The report urges Bangladesh to:
Work Closely with India
Most importantly, it says Bangladesh should work with India to form a joint water-sharing framework that also includes China. A united front from both downstream nations could pressure Beijing into transparent water management.
The report also recommends that Bangladesh deepen economic and security ties with India to reduce reliance on China. This includes:
Closer ties with India’s $3.7 trillion economy would give Bangladesh more options for investment, markets, and strategic support.
Bottom line: The Brahmaputra dam is not just an environmental issue – it’s a security and survival challenge. To protect its water, farmland, and people, Bangladesh must act fast and work hand-in-hand with India.