In spite of intense speculation about borderland disputes between India and Bangladesh, the Indian government on Wednesday did not place the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) for approval in the Rajya Shaba, upper house of the Indian parliament.
The agreement would lead to a constitutional amendment intended to resolve disputes over land and border areas between India and Bangladesh.
Mohammed Monirul Islam, consular at the High Commission of Bangladesh to India told the Dhaka Tribune on Wednesday evening the LBA was not placed before the house, despite being included in the Indian parliament’s revised list of business for the day.
He however added according to media reports the Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid did attempt to place “the Constitution (One Hundred and Nineteenth Amendment) Bill, 2013” on several occasions, but did not succeed.
The bill allows India to acquire territory while also giving Bangladesh certain areas, as per a 1974 agreement and a 2011 protocol between the two nations.
The Parliament of India was adjourned sine die yesterday, which makes the fate of the proposed bill uncertain, as it was not placed before parliament at the last session of the Rajya Sabha.