BGB opts for compromise over Dibir Haor
Wetland divided temporarily to avoid violence
Zaman Monir . Sylhet
Border Guard Bangladesh on Sunday opted for a compromise with Indian Border Security Force by agreeing to a temporary settlement of the dispute over Dibir Haor, a bordering wetland, at Jaintapur in Sylhet, by demarcating the area allowing uninterrupted access of Indians to the land in adverse possession.
BGB and BSF temporarily divided the haor into two parts giving one portion to Bangladeshis and the other to Indians to avoid violence although the area has been part of Bangladesh territory over the years, the BGB officials told New Age.
The decision to divide the adversely possessed marshland of 55.3 acres was taken at a flag meeting at Jaintapur border around midday between the battalion-level officials of BGB and BSF, according to BGB.
BGB 5 battalion commanding officer lieutenant colonel Shafiul Azam confirmed the decision.
He said the BSF officials had shown a supportive attitude during the flag meeting to settle the dispute in a peaceful way.
After the meeting, we [officials of both sides] have specified a part, which would a little more than a half of Dibir Haor, for Bangladesh and another part for Indians to settle the dispute between the citizens of the two countries, he said.
Home ministrys additional secretary (political) Kamal Uddin Ahmed said, Bangladesh and India have agreed to maintain a status quo over all APLs, including Dibir Haor until the matter is resolved between the two governments.
He said there was no scope for dividing any APL between the two countries to settle the dispute.
Kamal, also head of the Joint Boundary Working Group, told New Age that the APLs were already surveyed and their possessions would be settled under the land protocol which was signed by India and Bangladesh in 2011, but yet to be ratified by the Indian government.
Shafiul, however, added that they had nothing to do about specifying the actual ownership of the disputed land until the ministries concerned of the two countries reached a decision in this regard.
The BGB and BSF camp commander-level officials, who met in a flag meeting on Friday at Dibir Haor, decided to convene the talks between the battalion-level officials of the two border guards to reach in a decision on the issue, the officials said.
BGB 5 battalion commanding officer lieutenant colonel Shafiul Azam led the Bangladesh side while BSF 108 battalion commanding officer Debendra Bifth led the Indian side in the flag meeting that started at 11:45am and ended at 2:30pm, the BGB officials said.
But the decision on dividing the Dibir Haor between the citizens of Bangladesh and India has caused resentment among Bangladeshi villagers in Jaintapur border area, locals claimed.
They said that the decision to leave a part of Dibir Haor went in favour of Indian nationals, when a number of APLs in different areas along the border remained under Indian occupation.
Solaiman Miah, a resident of Dibir Haor village, told New Age in the afternoon that the BGB officials had asked them not to go fishing in the Kendri Beel, a water body in the Dibir Haor area located some 300 metres inside Bangladesh territory.
The BGB officials informed us that Kendri Beel would remain in the possession of Indian nationals from now on, Solaiman said, adding that it would be difficult for them to accept that people of the other country would fish in the beel adjacent to their homes, which had been in their [Bangladeshis] possession for a long time.
Jaintapur border turned tense on Thursday morning after a group of Indian nationals backed by the BSF infiltrated more than 300 metres in Bangladesh territory and started fishing in Dibir Haor, ignoring the objection of Bangladeshis. The situation calmed in the afternoon after the BSF authorities agreed to take back their citizens from Dibir Haor and convene a flag meeting in this regard, local sources said.
The BSF personnel allegedly resisted Bangladeshi villagers on December 13 when they went to fish in Dibir Haor. They also fired in the air on that day to scare away Bangladeshis, the sources said.
In March 2010, more than 20 Bangladeshi villagers sustained bullet injuries when the BSF opened fire after a group of villagers tried to prevent Indian nationals from fishing in Dibir Haor.
New Age | Newspaper
Wetland divided temporarily to avoid violence
Zaman Monir . Sylhet
Border Guard Bangladesh on Sunday opted for a compromise with Indian Border Security Force by agreeing to a temporary settlement of the dispute over Dibir Haor, a bordering wetland, at Jaintapur in Sylhet, by demarcating the area allowing uninterrupted access of Indians to the land in adverse possession.
BGB and BSF temporarily divided the haor into two parts giving one portion to Bangladeshis and the other to Indians to avoid violence although the area has been part of Bangladesh territory over the years, the BGB officials told New Age.
The decision to divide the adversely possessed marshland of 55.3 acres was taken at a flag meeting at Jaintapur border around midday between the battalion-level officials of BGB and BSF, according to BGB.
BGB 5 battalion commanding officer lieutenant colonel Shafiul Azam confirmed the decision.
He said the BSF officials had shown a supportive attitude during the flag meeting to settle the dispute in a peaceful way.
After the meeting, we [officials of both sides] have specified a part, which would a little more than a half of Dibir Haor, for Bangladesh and another part for Indians to settle the dispute between the citizens of the two countries, he said.
Home ministrys additional secretary (political) Kamal Uddin Ahmed said, Bangladesh and India have agreed to maintain a status quo over all APLs, including Dibir Haor until the matter is resolved between the two governments.
He said there was no scope for dividing any APL between the two countries to settle the dispute.
Kamal, also head of the Joint Boundary Working Group, told New Age that the APLs were already surveyed and their possessions would be settled under the land protocol which was signed by India and Bangladesh in 2011, but yet to be ratified by the Indian government.
Shafiul, however, added that they had nothing to do about specifying the actual ownership of the disputed land until the ministries concerned of the two countries reached a decision in this regard.
The BGB and BSF camp commander-level officials, who met in a flag meeting on Friday at Dibir Haor, decided to convene the talks between the battalion-level officials of the two border guards to reach in a decision on the issue, the officials said.
BGB 5 battalion commanding officer lieutenant colonel Shafiul Azam led the Bangladesh side while BSF 108 battalion commanding officer Debendra Bifth led the Indian side in the flag meeting that started at 11:45am and ended at 2:30pm, the BGB officials said.
But the decision on dividing the Dibir Haor between the citizens of Bangladesh and India has caused resentment among Bangladeshi villagers in Jaintapur border area, locals claimed.
They said that the decision to leave a part of Dibir Haor went in favour of Indian nationals, when a number of APLs in different areas along the border remained under Indian occupation.
Solaiman Miah, a resident of Dibir Haor village, told New Age in the afternoon that the BGB officials had asked them not to go fishing in the Kendri Beel, a water body in the Dibir Haor area located some 300 metres inside Bangladesh territory.
The BGB officials informed us that Kendri Beel would remain in the possession of Indian nationals from now on, Solaiman said, adding that it would be difficult for them to accept that people of the other country would fish in the beel adjacent to their homes, which had been in their [Bangladeshis] possession for a long time.
Jaintapur border turned tense on Thursday morning after a group of Indian nationals backed by the BSF infiltrated more than 300 metres in Bangladesh territory and started fishing in Dibir Haor, ignoring the objection of Bangladeshis. The situation calmed in the afternoon after the BSF authorities agreed to take back their citizens from Dibir Haor and convene a flag meeting in this regard, local sources said.
The BSF personnel allegedly resisted Bangladeshi villagers on December 13 when they went to fish in Dibir Haor. They also fired in the air on that day to scare away Bangladeshis, the sources said.
In March 2010, more than 20 Bangladeshi villagers sustained bullet injuries when the BSF opened fire after a group of villagers tried to prevent Indian nationals from fishing in Dibir Haor.
New Age | Newspaper
