Joint border survey suspended amid protests

A joint survey of the Bangladesh-India border at Tamabil in Sylhet had to be suspended on Saturday in the face of strong protest by Bangladesh nationals.

Local people said a joint land survey team started its work near the Tamabil land port in the morning for demarcating the borderline in the area.

Jaintapur upazila assistant land commissioner, Iqbal Hosein led the Bangladesh team while Grees Kumar, an official of the Shelong Land Department, led the Indian side in the joint survey team, officials said.

Several hundred people of Tamabil, Sonatala, Aamsapnapur, Naljuri and Shantinagar and local coal importers gathered at the spot soon after the survey had begun  as they heard that three acres of land adjacent to the Tamabil land port in Bangladesh would be handed over to India through they survey.

The inhabitants along the Tamabil border requested the joint survey team to stop the work.

They said they would not allow handing over of a single inch of Bangladesh territory to India.

As the joint team ignored their requests, the local people demonstrated opposing the survey.

At one stage, the JLS team left the spot failing to cool down the protesters, sources in the JLS team said.

Later, the joint team resumed its work but had to abandon in the face of agitations.

The protesters refused to leave despite efforts by Border Guard of Bangladesh personnel, local sources said.  

Goainghat upazila nirbahi officer Iftekhar Ahmad Chowdhury rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control after suspending the survey, they said.

Chowdhury told New Age, when contacted the survey had to be suspended due to protest by the local people.

BNP leaders also joined the protesters.

Source: New Age

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