Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed the hope that India would take quick steps to ratify the land boundary agreement with Bangladesh.
Addressing the senior officials of the land ministry at Bangladesh Secretariat on Thursday, she said a bill on the land boundary agreement now remains in the Indian parliament.
"I hope that India would ratify the agreement to resolve a long standing problem on the land boundary issue," she said.
The border line between the two countries has been drawn and mapping of the zones has already been completed, she said, adding, "Now the process awaits Indian parliament's approval to resolve the problem forever."
Sheikh Hasina said, "The agreement under Mujib-Indira Pact would have been signed long ago, but no government after 1975 took any initiative in this regard, despite Bangladesh having ratified it long ago."
She said Awami League government after taking office in 1996 took initiative for demarcation of the Indo-Bangla border. "At that time most lands across the Indian border except a six and a half kilometer area were demarcated," she added.
"The problem was with the demarcation of land of Muhurir Char as the Muhuri River changed its regular course and entered into Bangladesh side due to gradual erosion. As per international norms, she said, India claimed the land of the Muhurir Char setting boundary line in the middle point of the river.
"But, we didn't accept the Indian claim and demanded for demarcation of the land from the border pillar posted in 1947. After a long negotiation, India agreed to our demand, giving 45 bighas of land of Muhurir Char near Feni border to Bangladesh," she said.
As both sides agreed, the Prime Minister said Bangladesh has got the Muhuri River and land of the Muhurir char as per border pillar set in 1947. Besides, she said, the lands of other border enclaves were also marked out as per number of people living in those enclaves.
Sheikh Hasina arrived at the Land Ministry as part of her plan to visit every ministry to interact with senior officials on the development issues and identify the problems and give necessary directives to bring dynamism in the activities of the ministry.
Land Minister Shamsur Rahman Sherif welcomed the Prime Minister in the ministry as she arrived there. State Minister Saifuzzaman Chowdhury, Secretary Mohammad Safiul islam and senior officials were present.
