Govt plans 195cr project to develop former enclaves

The government is going to implement a Tk 195 crore project for the socioeconomic development of the people of former enclaves.

The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) has sent a draft proposal titled "Rural infrastructural development of former enclaves" to the Planning Commission for assessment.

"The approval of the draft project is under process," a senior official at the Planning Commission told the news agency preferring anonymity. According to the draft proposal, the entire fund will come from the national exchequer.

The official said 191km of concrete roads, 23km of dirt roads, 711 metres of bridges, 15 mosques, eight community centres, seven temples, eight ghats, 12 markets, four graveyards, three crematoriums and three union parishad buildings would be constructed under the project in addition to excavating 11km of canals and building a 230 metre embankment.

The proposed project will be implemented from December 2015 to June 2018 in 13 upazilas under four districts which had enclaves.

The upazilas are Debiganj, Boda and Sadar upazilas of Panchagarh, Hatibandha, Patgram and Sadar upazilas of Lalmonirhat, Dimla upazila of Nilphamari and Phulbari, Bhurungamari, Chilmari, Sadar, Razibpur and Roumari upazilas of Kurigram.

Following the historic swap on July 31, some 111 former enclaves situated in

India became the part of Bangladesh, while 51 Bangladeshi enclaves went to the possession of India, ending nearly seven decades of sufferings of over 50,000 people.

The 111 Indian enclaves that have been transferred to Bangladesh were situated in four districts of Bangladesh -- Lalmonirhat, Panchagarh, Kurigram and Nilphamari. And the 51 Bangladeshi enclaves were in Cooch Behar district of the India's West Bengal state.

The 111 Indian enclaves in Bangladesh cover a total area of 17,160 acres, while 51 Bangladeshi enclaves in India have an area of 7,110 acres.