China has agreed in principle to assist with the implementation of the Teesta River development project, but how much water Bangladesh will ultimately receive remains uncertain, said Wahiduddin Mahmud, Planning Adviser to the interim government. Speaking at a briefing after an ECNEC meeting held at the NEC conference room in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar on Sunday (April 20), he mentioned that although China has submitted a preliminary design for the Teesta project, a feasibility study has yet to be conducted, and without cooperation from India, the outcome remains unclear.

During the meeting, 16 development projects were approved, including a Tk 13,500 crore Bay Terminal construction project aimed at enhancing the capacity of the Chattogram Port. The total cost for implementing all the approved projects is estimated at Tk 24,247 crore.

Addressing other issues, Mahmud said the Payra Port has essentially failed and will neither function as a seaport nor even as an inland port. Regarding international aid, he expressed concern over the uncertainty of future UN support for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh, especially considering the shifting policies under the Trump administration.