The Farakka Barrage: Bangladesh's Water War with India

In this episode of The History of Bangladesh, Lucas and Luna dive into the contentious history of the Farakka Barrage—a dam built by India on the Ganges River just 11 miles from the Bangladesh border. Completed in 1975, the barrage was designed to divert water to the Hooghly River to flush silt from Kolkata Port, but it devastated downstream agriculture in Bangladesh's Rajshahi and Khulna divisions. Listeners will learn about the 1975 trial run that triggered the first water crisis, the 1977 Memorandum of Understanding signed under Ziaur Rahman, the failures of the 1982 and 1985 agreements, and the eventual 1996 Ganges Water Treaty negotiated by Sheikh Hasina. The episode also explores the environmental impact on the Sundarbans mangrove forest, the political fallout between India and Bangladesh, and the ongoing disputes over water sharing as climate change threatens flows. Drawing on specific documents like the 1996 treaty and reports from the Joint Rivers Commission, this episode offers a clear-eyed look at how control of a river became a matter of survival for millions.

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