Enclave people refrain from lighting stoves
People of Indian enclaves inside Panchagarh district yesterday observed 'No Stove Lighting' programme on the fifth day of their 10-day agitation demanding early implementation of the enclave exchange deal between Bangladesh and India.
"People of around 4,000 households of Indian enclaves inside Panchagarh district took only dry foods like chira and muri as they refrained from burning stoves today. They are spontaneously observing the programme to realise their demand," said India-Bangladesh Enclave Exchange Coordination Committee leader Sirazul Islam, also chairman of Shalbari Enclave.
Earlier on Monday evening enclave people observed three-hour-long 'Nishprodip Raat Japon' (spending night without lighting lamps) programme.
People of all the 162 enclaves inside Bangladesh and India are simultaneously observing a 10-day (September 23--October 2) agitation programme to press home the same demand, said leaders of India-Bangladesh Enclave Exchange Coordination Committee.
Demanding a specific time frame for early implementation of the enclave exchange deal in line with Bangladesh-India land boundary agreement of 1974, popularly known as Mujib-Indira Pact, they said the movement will continue until realisation of their demand.
In absence of basic citizens' rights, the enclave people live in awful conditions amid lack of adequate employment opportunity, infrastructure, educational institutions, electricity and medical facilities, they said.
One hundred and eleven Indian enclaves inside Bangladesh are situated in Panchagarh, Lalmonirhat, Kurigram and Nilphamari districts while all the 51 Bangladeshi enclaves are in Indian Cooch Behar district.
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