Bangladesh and India have noted that early ratification of Land Boundary Agreement 1974 and its additional protocol signed in 2011 would resolve the long-pending issue.
“Both sides noted that early ratification of the same would pave the way for implementing the provisions of the agreement and lay the long pending boundary issues at rest,” said a joint statement issued after a Bangladesh-India home secretary-level talks held from July 19-22 in New Delhi.
Bangladesh ratified the LBA in 1974 but India is yet to do so. Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid tried to place the constitution amendment bill in the last budget session in parliament but could not do it.
Bangladesh Home Secretary CQK Mustaq and his Indian counterpart Anil Goswami at the talks reviewed the measures taken to expedite the verification and repatriation of prisoners who have completed their sentences.
The statement said border management was strengthened with the signing of four agreements including extradition treaty.
They also agreed on sharing actionable intelligence in real time. At the meeting, Bangladesh appreciated India’s decision to contain Phensidyle syrup from being smuggled into Bangladesh.