India - Bangladesh Land Bill Agreement - A Brief

On 6th June Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his counterpart from Bangladesh Ms. Sheikh Hasina ratified the Indo Bangladesh Land Boundary agreement. This was a historic move from both the countries as this was a bottleneck in the cordial relations between the two neighbouring nations. 

The agreement will contribute to a stable and peaceful boundary and create an environment conducive to enhanced bilateral cooperation. It will result in better management and coordination of the border and strengthen our ability to deal with smuggling, illegal activities and other trans-border crimes. Let us read a bit more about topic.

The Plot - 

• The enclaves on India and Bangladesh border were used as stakes in card or chess games centuries ago between two regional kings, the Raja of Koch Bihar and the Maharaja of Rangpur. As far as history records, the little territories were apparently the result of a confused outcome of a 1713 treaty between the Kingdom of Koch Bihar and the Mughal Empire. Possibly, the Kingdom and the Mughals ended a war without determining a single boundary for what territories had been gained or lost.
  
• A deal was originally agreed in 1974 by Indira Gandhi of India and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman of Bangladesh. Under the agreement, India retained the Berubari Union No. 12 enclave while Bangladesh retained the Dahagram and Angorpota enclaves with India providing access to it by giving a 178-metre × 85 metre corridor, called the Teen Bigha Corridor. But following the assassination of Sheikh Mujib in 1975, it was not implemented.

The terms of the long-awaited treaty

• The two countries will swap up to 200 tiny enclaves, a move that should improve the lives of many inhabitants who live in squalid conditions.
• In the exchange of enclaves, India will transfer 111 enclaves with a total area of 17,160.63 acres to Bangladesh, while Bangladesh would transfer 51 enclaves with an area of 7,110.02 acres to India. While on paper, the exchange of enclaves between India and Bangladesh may seem like a loss of Indian land to Bangladesh, the actual scenario is quite different as the enclaves are located deep inside the territory of both countries and there has been no physical access to them from either country. 
  
• Around 50,000 people who are thought to live in the landlocked islands lack many basic services such as schools, clinics or utility services because they are cut off from their national governments.
• Each country will now begin to administer enclaves on its territory and enclave citizens will be able to choose where they want to live and which nationality they would prefer
• In planning the agreement, an elaborate process of consultation with people in the areas involved was carried out, including through the visit of an India–Bangladesh delegation to some of the enclaves and Adverse Possessions in May, 2007. The feedback received indicated that the people residing in the areas involved did not want to leave their land and  would rather remain in the country where they had lived all their lives. 

Advantages

The major features of the 2011 Protocol regarding the IndiaBangladesh boundary are also its advantages. These are as

• As the Protocol is the outcome of bilateral negotiations, it is mutually acceptable and durable and paves the way for settlement of the long pending land boundary issues.
• It takes into consideration the situation on the ground and the wishes of the people.
• It takes into account the views of the concerned State Governments and has their written consent.
• The exchange of enclaves will mitigate major humanitarian problems as the residents in the enclaves and others on their behalf had often complained of the absence of basic amenities and facilities.

• The settlement of Adverse Possessions will lead to tranquillity and peace along the border.
• The Protocol provides for a comprehensive package solution involving “give and take” on both sides.
• It represents a permanent solution to a decades old issue.
• The newly demarcated boundaries are a fixed boundary, thereby adding to certainty regarding the future.
• A settled boundary reduces friction, helps neighbours consolidate mutually beneficial exchanges and promotes confidence in building better relations.
• It paves the way for closer engagement and mutually beneficial relations between India and Bangladesh and the region;
• This also helps on issues of strategic concern, including security cooperation and denial of sanctuary to elements inimical to India.
• While land will be exchanged, the Protocol does not envisage the displacement of populations.

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.