Life is changing for people of the new lands

Life has changed for the better for former exclave residents as they now have access to all job opportunities, including the government ones, as the citizens of the land. Many among the people of the new lands, who were jobless despite having good academic background, are now getting jobs in different institutions and organisations. Motiar Rahman, 35, resident of Dashiar Chhara, a former exclave territory in Kurigram, took up a job as a fourth-class employee at the newly-established Kalirhat Girls’ School in the village, soon after the land swap took place under the Bangladesh-India Land Boundary Agreement on July 31 last year. Motiar studied until Class VIII before dropping out of school. “I went to Gangarhat School hiding my real identity, as exclave residents were not allowed to attend schools in the main land.” After dropping out of school, however, Motiar did not consider even looking for any job and took up farming to earn a living. “There was no point. I would not be eligible any way.” Now he is happy to have a job at the new school in his village. Like Motiar, there are many others who have been employed at different schools and colleges that have been newly established or are being set up. Shahzadi Khatun Shahana, new headmistress at Kalirghat High School, was unemployed after completing graduation in Bangladesh. “I was sitting idle at home despite having a degree as there was no job options for us before,” she told the Dhaka Tribune. After the land swap, Shahana was appointed at the topmost post in the school because there was no one more qualified than her in Dashiar Chhara. “Many women like me are now getting good and honourable jobs now that we have access to them,” she said. Mohammed Altab Hossen, president of exclave coordination committee and president of the local wing of the Awami League, said educated former exclave residents are getting priority during job recruitment at the newly established institutions in the new land. “15 former exclave residents have been appointed in government primary schools, five in Border Guard Bangladesh and one in police force so far,” he told the Dhaka Tribune. Change has come in the lives of young children too, who are now able to attend public schools. “Other schools were too far from my home. My new school is closer,” said a smiling Aduri.