From The Daily Star
Rezaul Karim
March 17, 2011
Bangladesh may soon gain over 10,000 acres of land from India, as Dhaka and New Delhi prepare to exchange 162 enclaves.
A resolution of the decades-old enclave issue is now a strong possibility with the two countries making serious efforts to that end, said diplomatic sources.
Official record shows India has 111 enclaves or nearly 17,158 acres of land in Panchagarh, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram and Nilphamari districts of Bangladesh.
On the other hand, Bangladesh has 51 enclaves measuring 7,110 acres in Cooch Behar district of India.
Following the exchange, Bangladesh will get 10,048 acres, but its population might increase up to 50,000 if the Indian citizens agree to change their nationalities under the plan.
The matter has its roots in pre-partition period (before 1947). Historians say these territories were part of high stake card or chess games between the kings of Cooch Behar and Rangpur and handed over to each other in payment for the gambling debts.
In 1974, Bangladesh ratified the Mujib-Indira Land Boundary Agreement to resolve the problems, but India has yet to ratify the agreement.
Sources in New Delhi told The Daily Star that the Indian government will soon approach the Cabinet Committee on Security to get clearance for the implementation of the treaty.
They said officials concerned of both sides are working hard to complete the procedures necessary for the exchange ahead of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's trip to Bangladesh in the next few months.
During the visit, Bangladesh hopes to sign several deals including the one on exchange of enclaves.
Diplomatic sources said the exchange will work as a major confidence building measure between Dhaka and New Delhi, remove suffering of the residents, and more importantly, it will de-escalate border conflict.
In Dhaka, home ministry sources told The Daily Star that the recent meetings of the Joint Boundary Working Group made significant progress in solving the outstanding issues of 6.5km undemarcated border, 162 enclaves and 6,500 acres of adversely possessed land in each other's territories.
As there is not that much complexity in swap of enclaves, they said, the two sides agreed to settle it first and continue talks on un-demarcated border and adversely possessed lands.
Officials of foreign affairs ministry said they along with officials from the other ministries concerned will soon visit the enclaves in India and representatives from India will visit the enclaves in Bangladesh.
Besides, the two countries will soon launch a joint survey of enclave population. Bangladesh has already formed 10 committees, now awaiting Indian response, to launch the headcount, the first since 1971.
According to unofficial estimates, the population of the 111 Indian enclaves is over one lakh while the 51 Bangladeshi enclaves inside India have around 44,000 people.
The residents of the enclaves on both sides of the border will be given the option to decide which country they want to live in. Sources said most of the residents of the enclaves had earlier agreed to change their nationalities under the exchange plans. They will be given further chance to opt for migration once the exchanges are made.
A resolution of the decades-old enclave issue is now a strong possibility with the two countries making serious efforts to that end, said diplomatic sources.
Official record shows India has 111 enclaves or nearly 17,158 acres of land in Panchagarh, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram and Nilphamari districts of Bangladesh.
On the other hand, Bangladesh has 51 enclaves measuring 7,110 acres in Cooch Behar district of India.
Following the exchange, Bangladesh will get 10,048 acres, but its population might increase up to 50,000 if the Indian citizens agree to change their nationalities under the plan.
The matter has its roots in pre-partition period (before 1947). Historians say these territories were part of high stake card or chess games between the kings of Cooch Behar and Rangpur and handed over to each other in payment for the gambling debts.
In 1974, Bangladesh ratified the Mujib-Indira Land Boundary Agreement to resolve the problems, but India has yet to ratify the agreement.
Sources in New Delhi told The Daily Star that the Indian government will soon approach the Cabinet Committee on Security to get clearance for the implementation of the treaty.
They said officials concerned of both sides are working hard to complete the procedures necessary for the exchange ahead of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's trip to Bangladesh in the next few months.
During the visit, Bangladesh hopes to sign several deals including the one on exchange of enclaves.
Diplomatic sources said the exchange will work as a major confidence building measure between Dhaka and New Delhi, remove suffering of the residents, and more importantly, it will de-escalate border conflict.
In Dhaka, home ministry sources told The Daily Star that the recent meetings of the Joint Boundary Working Group made significant progress in solving the outstanding issues of 6.5km undemarcated border, 162 enclaves and 6,500 acres of adversely possessed land in each other's territories.
As there is not that much complexity in swap of enclaves, they said, the two sides agreed to settle it first and continue talks on un-demarcated border and adversely possessed lands.
Officials of foreign affairs ministry said they along with officials from the other ministries concerned will soon visit the enclaves in India and representatives from India will visit the enclaves in Bangladesh.
Besides, the two countries will soon launch a joint survey of enclave population. Bangladesh has already formed 10 committees, now awaiting Indian response, to launch the headcount, the first since 1971.
According to unofficial estimates, the population of the 111 Indian enclaves is over one lakh while the 51 Bangladeshi enclaves inside India have around 44,000 people.
The residents of the enclaves on both sides of the border will be given the option to decide which country they want to live in. Sources said most of the residents of the enclaves had earlier agreed to change their nationalities under the exchange plans. They will be given further chance to opt for migration once the exchanges are made.
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