India and Bangladesh are holding negotiations to resume the stalled joint survey of disputed border areas between the two nations.A mutual Indo-Bangladesh agreement last year decided to jointly survey the disputed areas along the Indo-Bangla border as part of a confidence building measure. The areas of differences are often referred as “adversely possessed” areas and inherited from the days of partition of the two countries.
The survey began on December 7 last years, but sixteen days later, it abruptly came to a halt in the Meghalaya sector amidst claims and counter-claims that border guards of the two nations were interfering in the survey works.
“We have decided to resume the joint survey, but there are some areas of differences in our views, so negotiations are on to iron out those differences,” an official from the Meghalaya land records and survey said today.
In fact, it was Bangladesh’s Directorate of land record and survey which insisted on resuming the stalled process. The official said two teams from both the countries are holding talks from yesterday at Muktapur and Pyrdiwah along the international border in East Khasi Hills district to chalk out modalities to resume the survey.
The major point of difference is in nine areas in the Meghalaya sector which is “adversely held by India” and claimed by Bangladesh.
The nine areas include, Pyrdiwah, Lyngkhat, Amki-Amjalong, Ranghong, Naljiri, Tamabil, Kurinala and Muktapur mostly in East Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills districts of Meghalaya and Sylhet district in Bangladesh. India claims Lobacheera being “adversely held by Bangladesh.”
Incidentally, the survey of Lobacheera, a tea growing area, has been completed last year, although details are yet to be exchanged between the two nations.
The meeting between the survey officials between the two sides passed off well yesterday and also today. Sources, however, said a concrete decision to resume the survey work would not be possible before next week.
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