MARITIME BOUNDARY DISPUTE WITH INDIA, MYANMAR
Dhaka has kept open options for an amicable settlement of the maritime boundary disputes with New Delhi and Yangon although it has sought UN involvement in the matter, the foreign minister, Dipu Moni, said on Sunday.We have kept open options for an amicable settlement through bilateral discussions of the maritime boundary disputes with India and Myanmar,' Dipu Moni said at a briefing on Sunday.
Bangladesh has problems with India and Myanmar on the issue of 'starting point' on how to mark the coastline to draw its marine boundary, with apparently overlapping claims of the three neighbouring countries because of the funnel-like coastline of the Bay.In 2009, Bangladesh registered its objections with the United Nations regarding the claims of India and Myanmar to its territorial waters in the Bay of Bengal.Both the countries want to extract natural resources from the disputed marine territory, with natural prolongation into the continental shelf and the baseline.
The cases have been referred to the international tribunal as 'fall-back positions' as a safeguard if no satisfactory results would come out of bilateral negotiations, she said.The international arbitrary tribunal formed for speedy resolution of disputes over the maritime boundary between Bangladesh and India called both the sides to Germany to discuss arbitration procedures, she said.
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea is an independent judicial body set up by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to adjudicate disputes arising out of the interpretation and application of the convention.The government, Dipu Moni said, is scheduled to submit a memorandum to the UN body claiming its legitimate authority over its territorial waters adjacent to Myanmar in the Bay of Bengal by July 1. Myanmar is scheduled to submit its memorandum by December 1.Bangladesh, she said, is scheduled to submit a memorandum to the UN body claiming its legitimate authority over its territorial waters adjacent to India in the Bay of Bengal by May 31, 2011. India is scheduled to submit its memorandum by May 31, 2012.
The prime ministers of Bangladesh and India, during the visit of the Bangladesh prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, to New Delhi in January, agreed on the need for an amicable demarcation of the maritime boundary between the two countries.Bangladesh negotiators on maritime boundary held meetings with their counterparts in India and Myanmar early this year and 'now it is their turn to come to Dhaka' in continuation of the talks, a government official told New Age.'But we are yet to get any indication from India and Myanmar regarding meetings in Dhaka,' the official said.
Experts, however, believe an amicable demarcation of the boundary between the two countries will require 'strong political commitment at the highest level and its translation into reality through bureaucracy.''The ball is in Delhi's (and Yangon's) court. It is not in our court now,' Professor Imtiaz Ahmed of Dhaka University told New Age on Sunday evening.'Unfortunately, the problem with Delhi is that its political commitment is not usually delivered to the bureaucracy properly. Another problem with them is that they make the process (of bilateral negotiations) slower,' Imtiaz, a teacher of international relations, said.
Under the UN provision, no claims submitted by a country will be taken for final consideration before settling the objection raised by a neighbouring country, which might have overlapping claims.A country is supposed to enjoy its rights to fishing and extracting and exploring other marine resources in its 12–24 nautical mile territorial sea from the coastline, 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone and 350 nautical mile continental shelf from the baseline.
The foreign minister also said the government would sign several technical deals in a few months to set up the nuclear power plant at Rooppur.Bangladesh singed a framework agreement with Russia on May 21 on cooperation in the field of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.Indian proposals, she said, for the deployment of sky marshal to ensure security of Indian commercial aircraft and special security for the Indian high commission in Dhaka were also under consideration.
http://www.newagebd.com/2010/jun/14/front.html
Bangladesh has problems with India and Myanmar on the issue of 'starting point' on how to mark the coastline to draw its marine boundary, with apparently overlapping claims of the three neighbouring countries because of the funnel-like coastline of the Bay.In 2009, Bangladesh registered its objections with the United Nations regarding the claims of India and Myanmar to its territorial waters in the Bay of Bengal.Both the countries want to extract natural resources from the disputed marine territory, with natural prolongation into the continental shelf and the baseline.
The cases have been referred to the international tribunal as 'fall-back positions' as a safeguard if no satisfactory results would come out of bilateral negotiations, she said.The international arbitrary tribunal formed for speedy resolution of disputes over the maritime boundary between Bangladesh and India called both the sides to Germany to discuss arbitration procedures, she said.
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea is an independent judicial body set up by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea to adjudicate disputes arising out of the interpretation and application of the convention.The government, Dipu Moni said, is scheduled to submit a memorandum to the UN body claiming its legitimate authority over its territorial waters adjacent to Myanmar in the Bay of Bengal by July 1. Myanmar is scheduled to submit its memorandum by December 1.Bangladesh, she said, is scheduled to submit a memorandum to the UN body claiming its legitimate authority over its territorial waters adjacent to India in the Bay of Bengal by May 31, 2011. India is scheduled to submit its memorandum by May 31, 2012.
The prime ministers of Bangladesh and India, during the visit of the Bangladesh prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, to New Delhi in January, agreed on the need for an amicable demarcation of the maritime boundary between the two countries.Bangladesh negotiators on maritime boundary held meetings with their counterparts in India and Myanmar early this year and 'now it is their turn to come to Dhaka' in continuation of the talks, a government official told New Age.'But we are yet to get any indication from India and Myanmar regarding meetings in Dhaka,' the official said.
Experts, however, believe an amicable demarcation of the boundary between the two countries will require 'strong political commitment at the highest level and its translation into reality through bureaucracy.''The ball is in Delhi's (and Yangon's) court. It is not in our court now,' Professor Imtiaz Ahmed of Dhaka University told New Age on Sunday evening.'Unfortunately, the problem with Delhi is that its political commitment is not usually delivered to the bureaucracy properly. Another problem with them is that they make the process (of bilateral negotiations) slower,' Imtiaz, a teacher of international relations, said.
Under the UN provision, no claims submitted by a country will be taken for final consideration before settling the objection raised by a neighbouring country, which might have overlapping claims.A country is supposed to enjoy its rights to fishing and extracting and exploring other marine resources in its 12–24 nautical mile territorial sea from the coastline, 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone and 350 nautical mile continental shelf from the baseline.
The foreign minister also said the government would sign several technical deals in a few months to set up the nuclear power plant at Rooppur.Bangladesh singed a framework agreement with Russia on May 21 on cooperation in the field of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.Indian proposals, she said, for the deployment of sky marshal to ensure security of Indian commercial aircraft and special security for the Indian high commission in Dhaka were also under consideration.
http://www.newagebd.com/2010/jun/14/front.html
__._,_.___