For decades, the state of Tripura has quietly borne the burden of unchecked cross-border migration and environmental manipulation by Bangladesh. While India’s northeastern frontier has long been a sensitive zone, recent developments have added new layers of concern, with Tripura now becoming a flashpoint in a larger contest over water, territory, and diplomatic posturing.
At the heart of this escalating dispute lies the Muhuri River, a vital transboundary watercourse that originates from the Deotamura hill range in southern Tripura. Flowing through the undulating terrain of the state, it enters Bangladesh near Parshuram upazila of Feni district, eventually joining the Selonia and Feni rivers before draining into the Bay of Bengal. Not only does the river sustain hundreds of families on either side of its banks, but it also serves as a demarcated stretch of the international boundary between India and Bangladesh in the Tripura-Noakhali sector.
The latest flashpoint emerged with Bangladesh’s construction of an embankment alarmingly close to the zero line—reportedly within 150 yards of the international border—near Belonia in South Tripura. Locals, political organisations, and observers alike fear that this act violates the spirit, if not the letter, of bilateral arrangements such as the 1974 Indira-Mujib pact. While Tripura has often been silent in the past, this move has stirred public unrest and political mobilisation on an unusual scale.
On April 28, hundreds of protestors from the Tipra Motha Party (TMP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)—which together form the ruling coalition in Tripura—gathered near the Bankar market, adjacent to the Bangladesh border. Demonstrators carried banners condemning the actions of the Bangladesh government and its unelected Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. Police blocked attempts to reach the border, resulting in tense standoffs and impassioned sloganeering.
The protest came shortly after Yunus’s controversial remarks in China, where he referred to Northeast India as “landlocked” and portrayed Bangladesh as its “gateway to the sea” in an apparent bid for Chinese investment. This rhetoric, which appears aligned with a broader Chinese geostrategic posture in South Asia, has further strained an already delicate relationship. TMP chief Pradyot Bikram Manikya Debbarma has been vocal in his criticism, urging the Indian government to take a stronger stance against what he characterises as Bangladesh’s support for fundamentalist forces and its reckless behaviour on water-related issues.
Residents in South Tripura and Unakoti districts are growing increasingly anxious as the monsoon season approaches. They fear that Bangladesh’s embankment construction could obstruct natural drainage and result in severe flooding, jeopardising lives and critical infrastructure in Belonia and Kailashahar. Debbarma has warned that such actions pose a direct threat to these district headquarters, demanding immediate attention from the Indian government.
Tripura’s Chief Minister, Manik Saha, has acknowledged the seriousness of the situation. He confirmed that the issue related to Unakoti district has already been flagged with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and assessments regarding the South Tripura segment have been forwarded to the Centre for further action.
Today at Belonia , Tripura thousands of our Warriors were stopped by the BSF otherwise the illegal construction by Bangladesh would have been demolished. These are the youth of our Tiprasa all we need is a green signal , rest we will handle ! pic.twitter.com/84kQsI7Zth
— Pradyot_Tripura (@PradyotManikya) April 28, 2025
While India is planning its own embankment along the Muhuri, the situation is delicate. Any engineering solution must carefully consider the river’s ecological balance and its role in supporting the livelihoods of local communities. The Muhuri remains a key source of drinking water for settlements like Muhuripur, where decreased rainfall and dwindling groundwater supplies have made river dependency inevitable. According to a detailed report by CUTS-International, this dependence has led to the obstruction of natural flow, as cement bags are used near treatment plants to store water, severely impacting downstream ecology.
In addition, CUTS-International documents how ongoing railway construction across the Muhuri River in Manurmukh, Belonia, has severely distorted the river’s natural flow. Over the past two years, makeshift roads have narrowed the river channel from 36 metres to just 9 metres. This drastic reduction has caused significant stagnation in the upstream section, increasing depth and discharge abnormally. Moreover, construction waste—including cement and debris—has been dumped directly into the channel, exacerbating the river’s degradation and threatening long-term ecological stability.
Meanwhile, regional dynamics took a more volatile turn in August 2024, when devastating floods in Bangladesh affected nearly 1.8 million people. Social media platforms were flooded with accusations that India had triggered the deluge by abruptly opening the sluice gates of the Dumbur dam on the Gumti river in Tripura. A report by the Dhaka Tribune even alleged that Tripura authorities made an impromptu overnight decision to release a large volume of water into Comilla district.
India, however, firmly dismissed these claims. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a sharp rebuttal, stating that the floods were caused by unusually heavy rainfall and not any unilateral release of water. “We have seen concerns being expressed in Bangladesh that the current situation of flood in districts on the eastern borders of Bangladesh has been caused by opening of the Dumbur dam upstream of the Gumti river in Tripura. This is factually not correct,” the MEA clarified.
Nonetheless, the episode sparked widespread anti-India sentiment online, with users accusing India of deliberately creating an “artificial flood.” The incident, though based on misinformation, reflects growing distrust in cross-border water sharing narratives and reinforces India’s apprehension about Bangladesh’s recent conduct.
What is becoming increasingly clear is that India is in no mood to tolerate further provocation. The shift in tone—from silence to public protest, and from accommodation to assertiveness—signals a strategic recalibration. Sources close to the Indian establishment suggest that Bangladesh’s continued posturing could cost it dearly. Drawing parallels to India’s decision to put the Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan in abeyance, these voices warn that similar consequences could await Bangladesh if it persists with its antagonistic behaviour.
The timing could not be worse for Dhaka. India has already expressed displeasure at Yunus’s efforts to involve China in the Teesta Water Project—another critical issue that New Delhi views as non-negotiable. With trust eroding fast, any misstep could test the limits of India’s patience.
In this evolving chessboard of cross-border water diplomacy, Tripura is no longer a silent spectator. The state has emerged as a frontline theatre in India’s broader response to what it perceives as water brinkmanship by Bangladesh. As the monsoon clouds gather, so too does the spectre of a deeper and more dangerous confrontation—one that could reshape regional dynamics for years to come.
