People of Angarpota-Dahagram are yet to enjoy their full-fledged freedom even 42 years after Bangladesh’s independence as the access to the enclave through Tin Bigha Corridor is controlled by the Indian Border Security Forces.
The BSF keeps the Tin Bigha Corridor gate closed for one hour daily for hoisting the Indian national flag in the morning and taking it down in the evening.
The enclave remains disconnected from Bangladesh during the formalities.
Separated by the Tin Bigha Corridor belonging to the Indian territory, Angarpota-Dahagram has virtually no link with the mainland Bangladesh, and for that reason, no sustainable development had taken place here, except a mere community clinic, a school and a market at Dahagram.
People in the area are highly deprived of healthcare facilities to a large extent.
The name-only clinic is far too little to provide health services to the enclave residents.
There is little scope for one to get a doctor at the clinic and any medicine except painkillers.
For better treatment, patients have to travel across 15 miles to see doctors at Patgram upazila.
The Dhaka Tribune on December 26 at Dahagram bazar met Anguri Begum who was on her way to Patgram with her four-year-old girl suffering from stomach ache.
Asked about the problem, she said the clinic failed to provide her with any treatment, and then, she was going to Patgram to see a doctor.
Lying on the eastern bank of Teesta with an area of 32 square miles Angorpota and Dahagram are among the most fertile areas of Bangladesh.
The enclave is gifted with arable land for growing rice, jute and tobacco and is self-sufficient in food.
Despite the fact that the enclave belongs to Bangladesh, none can enter there without India’s permission as the access route to the enclave through Tin Bigha Corridor is controlled by the BSF.
Following a mass agitation by the Angarpota-Dahagram residents, the gate of Tin Bigha corridor used to be kept open for six hours a day from June 26, 1992 to 1999.
Later on April 27, 2001, it was decided that the gate would remain open for 12 hours, and around 17,000 inhabitants availed themselves of the opportunity.
Since September 08, 2011, they began to enjoy a 24-hour entry-exit facility.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited the area on October 19, 2011, and formally declared that the gate would remain open round the clock.
Though the gate was all-time open, the inhabitants alleged that they had to face BSF harassment as the forces stopped passenger buses and other good-laden vehicles in the name of checking.
A flyover was scheduled to be built in the area to facilitate people’s access to their territory at their own sweet will without BSF permission, but to no avail.
There was hardly any progress of flyover construction sighted while visiting the area.
Contacted, Habibur Rahman, chairman of Dahagram, told the Dhaka Tribune he kept in touch with the higher authorities concerned for flyover construction and hoped that steps would be taken soon.
Locals alleged that the BSF kept the gate closed for nothing at sunrise and sunset. Is it appropriate that the corridor gate should be kept closed for one hour only flag-related formalities? some locals asked this correspondent, who contacted the BSF of Tin Bigha corridor to know about the matter, but the Indian Border Security Forces failed to come up with satisfactory answers.
The BSF directed him to talk to their high-ups for comments.
Mohammad Junaed Ali, camp in-charge of Patgram Border Guard Bangladesh, told the Dhaka Tribune the main problem being that the BSF controlled the corridor gate.
It is hard to believe that people in the area face any problem from the closure of the gate, he said.
“If we hear any problem, our forces settle down the matter, taking necessary steps,” he added.
