Bangladesh: Dhaka-Delhi survey on borderland dispute ends

Dhaka, July 8 (New Age): Bangladesh and India jointly completed a four-day survey of the disputed border areas between two countries shares on the Sylhet-Cachar section. The Department of Land Records and Survey of Bangladesh and the Indian Land Records and Surveys from Assam conducted the joint survey, officials told New Age. DLRS director general Md Abdul Mannan led a six-member Bangladesh survey team while director of Land Records and Surveys of Assam Tapan Chandra Goswami led a six-member Indian team during the joint survey. After completing the joint survey, the DLRS team returned to Dhaka Monday afternoon from Silchar, the headquarters of Cachar district. During the survey the two sides jointly identified the missing pillars on both sides of the border and agreed to re-install them to resolve the land disputes. On Thursday, the Indian survey team from Assam joined the Bangladesh team in Sylhet and jointly surveyed the disputed border areas the two countries share on the Zakiganj-Cachar section. The two teams jointly crossed the border on Saturday and surveyed the disputed frontier areas. Bangladesh and India share 32-km international border on the Sylhet-Cachar section. On Sunday, on completion of the joint exercise the two teams signed the minutes of the survey at Silchar. DLRS director general Abdul Mannan told New Age on return to Dhaka that during the joint survey the two sides demarcated the border to resolve the disputed areas between the two countries. ‘We installed 200 new pillars on the Bangladesh side of the border at Zakiganj during the survey,’ he said. He said that the joint survey would help resolve long-standing border disputes between the neighbouring two countries. In 2006, the disputes over the borderland led to exchange of fire between the Bangladesh Rifles and the Indian Border Security Force at Amolshid border in Zakiganj. The skirmishes followed Indian BSF’s intrusion into Bangladesh to occupy 256 acres of Bangladesh land near border pillar No. 1354.