Auspicious development
THE judgement of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at Hague has upheld what we consider to be the legitimate maritime boundary of Bangladesh. Through this verdict, justice has been done to both sides truly marking a triumph of international legal instruments.
We thank India that is has taken recourse to arbitration which requires all parties to concur in the process. Delimitation of maritime boundary through arbitration has basically removed the possibility of casting a shadow over bilateral relations on this issue. All the countries can now peacefully exploit maritime resources without fear of overstepping others' boundaries. With the tribunal clearly delineating which part of the Bay belongs to which country, the stage is now set for Bangladesh to explore potential hydrocarbon resources that are thought to exist offshore.
We congratulate the government of Sheikh Hasina for the deft handling of the case for arbitration and bring it to an auspicious conclusion that has been favourable towards Bangladesh. This is a credible act of the government. The litigation part of the process was handled by a group of maritime experts hailing from leading Western universities and a capable team of internationally renowned solicitors helped enormously to sway the argument to Bangladesh's favour. The verdict has rightfully acknowledged our claims, i.e. Bangladesh's claims to a full 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone in the Bay of Bengal. The tribunal has also awarded to Bangladesh a substantial share of the extended continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles.
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