Rear Admiral (retd) M Khurshed Alam is the most involved and active technical person dedicated in settling Bangladesh maritime dispute with two neighbors. He has been engaged with Bangladesh maritime boundary affairs as early as 80s. Today an interview published in daily Newage. In the interview Rear Admiral (retd) M Khurshed Alam made some disturbing revelation.
Bangladesh had been engage on maritime boundary discussion with Myanmar since 1974 and there were 14 rounds of talk held between two countries. If one review agreed minutes (submitted with ITOLS) from these engagement most, of these discussions were leaning with equity based delimitation. In such sequence Myanmar was almost ready to sign an agreement with Bangladesh. But (a neighbor) india steered Myanmar from signing an agreement with Bangladesh.
Here are excerpts:
Bangladesh, according to the ITLOS document, participated in 14 rounds of talks as part of negotiations on delimitation of the maritime boundary with Myanmar from 1974 to 2010. How do you assess these talks?
There were certain consistencies in most of the talks. In the agreed minutes of the talks, there was a mention of concavity of Bangladesh coasts and the necessity for an equitable solution to the dispute between the two countries.
The Myanmar authorities almost agreed in 2010 to sign an agreement to settle maritime boundary. But they suddenly backtracked for unknown reasons.
Can you think of some reasons?
We had kept open simultaneous options for bilateral negotiation and a possible settlement at ITLOS. Myanmar was in difficulty to hire counsel for ITLOS as they were under economic sanction at that time. They were, obviously, looking for better alternatives, if there were any.
A neighboring country extended legal support to Myanmar in the case against Bangladesh.
Myanmar and India share the same set of counsels in their cases on setting maritime boundaries with Bangladesh. Myanmar submitted satellite images of Mandabaria Island to prove that the area is quite stable. Do you think Myanmar was getting technical support from India in the case against Bangladesh?
Maybe. I cannot comment beyond that.
There are many examples whereby a country chose its own national as judge ad hoc. Eminent jury Dr Kamal Hossain was a judge in the case with ITLOS between Malaysia and Singapore. Bangladesh chose foreigners as judge ad hoc. Could Bangladesh not have chosen Dr Kamal Hossain as judge ad hoc in the cases on maritime boundaries?
I am not the appropriate authority to reply to this question.
Read full interview:
New Age | Newspaper
Bangladesh had been engage on maritime boundary discussion with Myanmar since 1974 and there were 14 rounds of talk held between two countries. If one review agreed minutes (submitted with ITOLS) from these engagement most, of these discussions were leaning with equity based delimitation. In such sequence Myanmar was almost ready to sign an agreement with Bangladesh. But (a neighbor) india steered Myanmar from signing an agreement with Bangladesh.
Here are excerpts:
Bangladesh, according to the ITLOS document, participated in 14 rounds of talks as part of negotiations on delimitation of the maritime boundary with Myanmar from 1974 to 2010. How do you assess these talks?
There were certain consistencies in most of the talks. In the agreed minutes of the talks, there was a mention of concavity of Bangladesh coasts and the necessity for an equitable solution to the dispute between the two countries.
The Myanmar authorities almost agreed in 2010 to sign an agreement to settle maritime boundary. But they suddenly backtracked for unknown reasons.
Can you think of some reasons?
We had kept open simultaneous options for bilateral negotiation and a possible settlement at ITLOS. Myanmar was in difficulty to hire counsel for ITLOS as they were under economic sanction at that time. They were, obviously, looking for better alternatives, if there were any.
A neighboring country extended legal support to Myanmar in the case against Bangladesh.
Myanmar and India share the same set of counsels in their cases on setting maritime boundaries with Bangladesh. Myanmar submitted satellite images of Mandabaria Island to prove that the area is quite stable. Do you think Myanmar was getting technical support from India in the case against Bangladesh?
Maybe. I cannot comment beyond that.
There are many examples whereby a country chose its own national as judge ad hoc. Eminent jury Dr Kamal Hossain was a judge in the case with ITLOS between Malaysia and Singapore. Bangladesh chose foreigners as judge ad hoc. Could Bangladesh not have chosen Dr Kamal Hossain as judge ad hoc in the cases on maritime boundaries?
I am not the appropriate authority to reply to this question.
Read full interview:
New Age | Newspaper
