'Most enclave people want to be with country they live in'
Bangladesh unit of Indo-Bangla Enclave Exchange Coordination Committee yesterday made the report on its survey on the opinion of the enclaves' people public.
The committee released the report at a press conference at Kurigram Press Club at 11:50 am. President of the Bangladesh chapter of the committee Md Mainul Haque, general secretary Md Golam Mostafa and president of Dashiar Chara (Indian enclave) unit Md Altaf Hossen were present.
According to survey report, most of the people of the enclaves want to be with the country now they live in.
Golam Mostafa said they conducted survey on more than 50,000 people of 111 Indian enclaves inside Bangladesh in the first week of April this year.
Most of them have expressed their desire to remain with the country now they live in while only 743 people of 149 families in 17 enclaves want to be part of the mainland, the report said.
About the survey in 51 Bangladesh enclaves inside India, the report said the people living in the enclaves want to become Indian citizens.
The governments of both countries conducted a head count in the enclaves in the middle of July last year. About 34,000 people of 111 Indian enclaves and about 17,000 people of Bangladesh enclaves were counted. Some people could not come under the programme as they went to other districts in search of jobs.
“According to our survey, more than 50,000 people live in 111 Indian enclaves inside Bangladesh,” Mostafa said. The Indian enclaves are situated in Panchagarh, Nilphamari, Lalmonirhat and Kurigram while all 51 angladeshi enclaves are in Cooch Behar district of Pashchimbangla.
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