India-Bangladesh land deal: Enclave-dwellers to get nationality of their choice

The cabinet yesterday approved a proposal for ratification of a protocol to implement the much-awaited Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) between Bangladesh and India.

The weekly meeting of the cabinet approved the protocol with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said as per the protocol, there would be exchange of enclaves between the two countries.

About enclave people's citizenship, he said the desire of the citizens would be given priority in this regard.

Bangladesh would get the enclaves that are situated in Bangladesh and India would get those that exist in India, the cabinet secretary said.

“If the Indians in Bangladeshi enclaves want to stay there, they will be given Bangladeshi citizenship and if Bangladeshis living in Indian enclaves want to stay, they will be given Indian citizenship,” he said.

With the exchange of enclaves, Bangladesh would get a total of 111 enclaves with 17,160.63 acres of land situated in Bangladesh, while India would get 51 enclaves with 7,110 acres of land situated in India, he said.

In respect of adversely possessed land, Musharraf said India would get 2,777.038 acres and transfer 2,267.682 acres to Bangladesh following the ratification of the agreement.

Besides, an un-demarcated 6.5km of land boundary with India would also be resolved according to the protocol, he noted.

He said as per the protocol, the people living in Angurputa-Dahagram could move through Tinbigha Corridor in the Indian Territory all the time as it would remain open round-the-clock every day.

An “exchange of instruments” regarding the LBA and the protocol will take place during the upcoming visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh, Musharraf said.

He said the agencies of the two countries would work for its implementation at official levels.

The Indian parliament recently ratified the LBA, also known as the historic Mujib-Indira agreement, by bringing an amendment to the constitution.

The cabinet also approved the drafts of Defence Services (Supreme Command) Act-2015 and Defence Services (Amendment) Act-2015.