Disputed Sylhet-Meghalaya Borders
Joint survey to resume today after months of suspension
Joint survey of the Sylhet-Meghalaya borders will resume today after several months of suspension.
The survey would be done by two teams on 13 points along the borders, according to officials concerned.
The decision to resume the work was finalised at a two-day meeting held with Indian officials on Dauki-Tamabil border on 12 May last.
Prior to that meeting, officials of the directorate of survey and land administration visited different places of Sylhet-Meghalaya borders, where the joint survey had to be suspended months ago.
The team members included director of the department of survey Md Iqbal, deputy director Nilmoni Sinha, ADC (Revenue-Sylhet) Ahmed Shamim Al Razi and deputy commander of the 5 battalion of BGB, Sylhet Major Naim.
The Indian team included director, external relations division, boundary Girish Kumar, deputy secretary of the Bangladesh desk, external relations division Sunita Pant and additional director, department of survey, Meghalaya TS Sangma.
Co-ordinator of the regional survey team Shamim Al Razi told the Daily Star yesterday that this time it would be resumed on the troubled areas along Sripur, Dibir Haor, Jaintapur and Protappur (Padua) borders in Jaintapur and Gowainghat upazilas.
He expected end to the stalemate that has been prevailing for months as Bangladesh officials could not agree with the Indians over survey points on the adversely possessed lands (APL) on different borders in the region.
The work had to be suspended in December, last year as the Indians were pressing to start survey from other points ignoring the existing border pillars, set in 1947.
In December, a trouble was also created by the Indian Khasia tribesmen and others on the much talked about Padua-Protappur borders.
Again it stumbled on 5 April as the Indians failed to bring any substantial documents in support of their claim for lands inside the Bangladesh territory.
In the wake of repeated incidents of intrusion by Indian Khasias for paddy crops and fishing as well as killing of Bangladesh nationals by the BSF, the authorities decided for joint survey of the Jaintapur, Gowainghat and Kanaighat borders. Accordingly, it began on 7 December last year.
But it had to be suspended after the 14 December incident, when about 500 armed Indians, allegedly backed by the BSF intruded into the Bangladesh territory and occupied some lands on Padua border.
However, they retreated in the face of chase by thousands of villagers after some time.
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