Mir Afroz Zaman

Beijing is providing flood data to Be from three stations of China's Yaluzangbu (Bangladesh part of Yaluzangbu is called Brahmaputra).

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Dhaka and Beijing will expire in July this year. The Chinese delegation is now in Dhaka to renew the MoU.

India's RSS bulletin said on Wednesday that the delegation of the visiting Chinese Ministry of Water Resources held a meeting with Nazmul Ahsan, Secretary of the Ministry of Water Resources of Bangladesh in Dhaka on Tuesday. In the meeting, cooperation regarding flood forecasting and warning of Brahmaputra river was discussed in detail.

However, it is not known whether there has been any discussion about the Teesta project. The Water Resources Secretary's meeting with the Chinese delegation is rumored to discuss the Teesta project proposed by Beijing.

A delegation from the Ministry of Water Resources of China is visiting Bangladesh since last Monday. The 9-member delegation is headed by Wu Wenjing, chief planner of the country's Ministry of Water Resources. The delegation will stay in Bangladesh till next Friday. During the visit, the delegation is scheduled to visit flood control and warning centres, hydrological stations, irrigation projects and the upper and lower reaches of the Padma river.

An official of the Ministry of Water Resources of Bangladesh said that in the meeting held with the delegation of the Ministry of Water Resources of China, there was a detailed discussion about cooperation between Bangladesh and China in the management and development of water resources. Cooperation regarding Brahmaputra river flood forecasting and warning was discussed. Bangladesh and China have an agreement on mutual cooperation in the field of water resources.

Under the agreement, China provides us with data from three stations on the Yalung Zangbu/Brahmaputra river in its territory. Under which we get flood forecast and warning information. The agreement regarding the data that Bangladesh receives from three stations on the Brahmaputra river will expire in July.

According to the Joint Rivers Commission, flood data from Nuxia, Nagesa and Yangkan at three Yalung Zangbu/Brahmaputra river stations located in China's territory, with the aim of developing flood forecasting and warning systems for the Brahmaputra River in Bangladesh in the light of the agreement - the official flood data since June 2006.

A memorandum of understanding was signed between Bangladesh and China for a period of five years in September 2008 for data transmission. An agreement has been signed in a meeting between the two countries after five years.