People of 36 Indian enclaves inside in Panchagarh district of Bangladesh have observed Independence Day, hoisting Bangladeshi national flags on Tuesday.
They also brought out processions with Bangladeshi national flags at their respective enclaves.
During a visit on Tuesday at Puthimari Indian enclave in Boda upazila of Panchagarh district, reporters of different electronic and print media observed that the enclave people observed victory day with enthusiasm.
They hoisted flags there in the morning and paid tribute to martyrs during Liberation War, making a makeshift Shaheed Minar.
Later, the people living in Indian enclave including women and children brought out a colourful procession at the village with Bangladeshi national flags.
The procession followed a discussion where the enclave leaders urged the governments of the two neighbouring countries to take steps to implement the land boundary agreement to resolve the long-lasting problem of enclave people who have been living in awful conditions amid lack of adequate employment opportunities, infrastructure, educational institutions, electricity and medical facilities.
The leaders appreciated Narendra Modi’s determinedness to implement the LBA.
Among others, President of Enclave Exchange Coordination Committee of Panchagarh and also Chairman of Garati Enclave Mofidar Rahman, Chairman of Shalbari Enclave Sirajul Islam, Chairman of Puthimari Enclave Toslim Uddin, addressed.
There are 111 Indian enclaves in Bangladesh, including 59 in Lalmonirhat, 36 in Panchagarh, 12 in Kurigram and four in Nilphamari district, and 51 Bangladeshi enclaves in Cooch Behar district of Pashchimbanga in India.
The Indian enclaves in Bangladesh comprise 17,149 acres of land while Bangladeshi enclaves in India cover 7,110 acres.
A joint census conducted in July 2011 found 37,334 people living in Indian enclaves in Bangladesh and 14,215 people in Bangladeshi enclaves in India.
Following creations of the enclaves on both sides of present India-Bangladesh border during the India-Pakistan partition of 1947, the people living there are undergoing indescribable sufferings as they are virtually deprived of citizens' rights and basic civic amenities.
