Officials examine disputed points, exchange papers
Officials of Bangladesh and India started joint survey at Lobhachhara in Kanaighat upazila and Sonarhat in Gowainghat upazila on the Sylhet-Meghalaya border yesterday.
The survey officials of the two sides visited the two-kilometre area along border pillars No 1264 to 1267 on Sonarhat-Lakhat border.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue), Sylhet, Dr Md Abul Hasan led the six-men Bangladesh team while Assistant Director of the Survey Department of Meghalaya A Shangpliang led the 11-men Indian side.
"We, the survey officials from both sides visited the adversely possessed farmlands on Sonarhat border and exchanged copies of some land related documents, including area map and others. Physical survey will be done in a day or two," Dr Hasan told this correspondent after discussion with the Indians on the border.
A Shangpliang said, "We are to survey certain border areas, having adversely possessed lands on both sides or on any side. The decision about the Bangladesh lands occupied by the Indians would be taken at a higher level."
"The Indians had occupied about 80 acres of farm lands inside the Bangaldesh territory on Sonarhat area during the last three to four years and we on several occasions raised the matter to the Indians," the Battalion Commander of the 21 Battalion of BDR-Lt Col Khairul Quadir told this correspondent near the Sonarhat border outpost of BDR yesterday afternoon.
Bangladesh farmers are even barred from going to the lands, which is about 500 yards inside the border pillar No 1267, said a number of Bangladesh nationals who went to the border areas to see the work of the survey teams.
"The survey teams will continue their work till December 24. It will be done initially on 13 points on the border from Lobhachhara in Kanaighat upazila to Lalakhal and Dibir Haor in Jaintapur and Sonarhat in Kanaighat upazila," said Sylhet Deputy Commissioner Abu Syed Muhammad Hashim.
The decision to conduct joint survey in several remote areas on Sylhet-Meghalaya border came against the backdrop of the long standing disputes there.
Bangladesh Rifles and Indian Border Security Force exchanged fire on several occasions as the Indian border guards and tribesmen attempted to forcibly occupy water bodies and farmlands inside Bangladesh territory in the recent months.
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