| Target borderland disputes Hopes high as Dhaka, Delhi sit next month; disputed enclaves, lands may be exchanged as per 1974 treaty  Bangladesh and India are going to hold bilateral talks in a bid to permanently resolve all border related issues in New Delhi on November 10-11. A highly placed source says the Awami League government is determined to resolve the decades-old disputes involving 3,000 acres of Bangladesh land inside India, 51 enclaves and 6.5 kilometres of un-demarcated border. Similarly, India has around 3,500 acres of land and 111 enclaves adversely possessed inside Bangladesh. Since assuming power the AL-led government has been persuading India to address these issues once and for all. Delhi has finally agreed to hold a meeting of the Joint Boundary Working Group (JBWG) of both the countries. The last meeting of this group was held four years ago. "We are confident this time there will be a breakthrough in India-Bangladesh relations through resolving all the border related issues," the source said, adding, "This time India also tilts towards resolving the issues as there is political will in both the governments to that end." Officials say un-demarcated border and adversely possessed land frequently create troubles between border guards of the neighbouring countries. Besides, criminals often cross border and take shelter in the adversely possessed land and enclaves to escape arrest in their respective countries. A top-ranked official engaged in the negotiations says an atmosphere of confidence has been created on both sides. "We are hopeful about an agreement on final settlement of border disputes by the end of this year." Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh during her visit to India on January 10-13 agreed to comprehensively address all outstanding border issues in line with the Land Boundary Agreement, 1974. India has agreed to convene the JBWG meeting to take this process forward as per this agreement, the sources say. "We have around half a dozen issues to be placed including adversely possessed land, exchange of enclaves and demarcating 6.5 kilometres of border," said a top government official. Dr Kamal Uddin Ahmed, joint secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs, will lead the Bangladesh delegation at the JBWG meet, while the Indian side will be headed by TS Trimurti, joint secretary of the external affairs ministry. As per the Mujib-Indira border agreement of 1974, the disputed Bangladesh land inside India would become parts of India and vice versa. Although Bangladesh ratified the Mujib-Indira agreement in 1974 India has yet to do it. Bangladesh expects that India would ratify the agreement soon to resolve the disputed 6.5 km un-demarcated border. The land disputes were created during independence of India and Pakistan from the British colonial rule in 1947. Dhaka and Delhi would also address the issues of 162 enclaves in both the countries. Some of these enclaves were created even before the British rule back in 1713. Indian enclaves inside Bangladesh are situated in four districts -- Panchagarh, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram and Nilphamari -- while all of Bangladeshi enclaves fall in Indian Kuch Bihar district. Sources say Bangladesh will also take up the Tin Bigha corridor issue vigorously and demand full-time opening of the corridor so that Bangladeshi people can come to mainland from there anytime. Currently, India allows Bangladeshis to enter Dahagram-Angorpota through the 178/85-metre corridor every alternate hour in day time. India agreed to construct a flyover on the corridor and supply electricity for the Bangladeshi people. Another issue to set up boundary pillars in 35.5 km stretch along Bangladesh-India border would also be discussed for settlement. People of both the countries are facing problems due to non-existence of pillars. The area is settled but setting up of pillars and who would bear the cost have yet to be decided. As per existing norms, both the countries should set up the pillars, but Bangladesh may ask India to bear the cost. The issue of demarcating 6.5 kilometres of un-demarcated border would dominate the agenda at the JBWG meet. Bangladesh and India share a long border of around 4,156 km. Of the 6.5 un-demarcated border, 1.5 km is at Doykhata under Nilphamari district, 2 km at Muhurir Char in Feni and 3 km at Lathitila in Moulvibazar. The JBWG will be followed by a series of meetings between the land, foreign and home ministries of the respective countries. A home secretary level meeting is likely to be held in Dhaka in December to ink the settlements of the border disputes. |
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