More than two months after requesting $550 million from China to finance the first phase of the Teesta River Comprehensive Management and Restoration Project, Bangladesh has yet to receive a formal reply, officials have said.

The Ministry of Finance submitted the proposal to Beijing in July and has since issued reminders. “We are still awaiting a response,” an MoF official confirmed.

The first phase of the $747 million plan involves embankments, dredging, land reclamation, and environmental assessments. The full project is estimated to cost $1.57 billion, according to the Bangladesh Water Development Board, which prepared the plan with Chinese technical support.

Officials say India’s upstream restrictions on the Teesta have sharply reduced water flow, harming communities in northern Bangladesh.

“As victims of India’s upstream restrictions, we need to restore and manage the Teesta’s flow. Given China’s expertise in river management, we requested its support,” the MoF official said.

The 414 km Teesta originates in the Himalayas, flowing 305 km through India before entering Bangladesh, where it runs 109 km across Rangpur Division before joining the Jamuna. Millions of Bangladeshis rely on it for agriculture and livelihoods.

Local media reported that China’s ambassador recently reaffirmed Beijing’s interest in the project during talks with Foreign Secretary Asad Alam Siam, with a Chinese expert team expected to visit for an on-site assessment.

Bangladesh first sought Chinese funding in 2021. While Beijing later offered recommendations, Dhaka’s latest request for financing remains unanswered.