Bangladesh team coming in June

By Haroon Habib

DHAKA, MAY 30. A Bangladesh delegation is leaving here for Delhi on June 11 to take part in the much awaited official-level talks with India to resolve issues arising out of the recent border disputes.

The first round of talks between the two neighbours, after the mid-April border clashes, will begin in the Indian Capital on June 12, an official announcement said here today.

Disclosing the schedule of the two-day meeting, the Foreign Secretary, Syed Muazzem Ali told a press briefing that ``Bangladesh attaches particular significance to the Delhi meeting because it is taking place after the unfortunate incident on the border last month which claimed lives on both sides''.

A 12-member Bangladesh team, comprising representatives from several ministries, including Water Resources, Land, Law and Parliamentary Affairs and Foreign Affairs, will be led by a Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

The Foreign Secretary said the second meeting of the officials of the two countries is expected to be held here in the later part of June. The announcement of the official-level meeting, Mr. Ali said, is being simultaneously made from the Capitals of the two countries.

The prime objective of the Delhi meeting is to finalise the terms of reference of the Joint Boundary Working Group (JBWG), Mr. Ali said, adding it will also work out the composition and modus operandi of the JBWG.

The JBWG was formed during the meeting of the Foreign Secretary of the two countries in Delhi last December. While the first JBWG will deal with demarcation of the un-demarcated 6.5 km border of the two countries, the second JBWG will take up the settled issues - exchange of enclaves and adverse possession - between the two countries.

Mr. Ali who expressed great ``optimism'' about the Delhi meeting, said, ``it will definitely yield positive results''.

The Foreign Secretary also said Bangladesh would like to have the demarcation work completed within one year of the first meeting of the JBWG. He said in the last two years, the two countries have succeeded in demarcating nearly 121 km of border area.

Replying to a question, Mr. Ali said the exact date of Dhaka meeting will be fixed at the Delhi meeting and it is expected to be in the last week of June.

To another question, he said Bangladesh's investigation of last month's border happening is going on. He added that ``Bangladesh understands that a similar probe is being done in India to ascertain how and when the BSF men intruded into Bangladesh territory which led to the unfortunate deaths on both sides''. He said that ``we are in constant touch with each other'' on the matter.

The Foreign Secretary said although exchange of enclaves and adverse possession are settled matters, a mechanism has to be evolved to do the actual work. ``We have the guidelines chartered in Mujib-Indira Land Boundary Agreement of 1974, but details have to be worked out,'' he added.

Mr. Ali who is scheduled to meet his Indian counterpart, Ms. Chokila Iyer in Colombo on June 9 on the sidelines of the SAARC Foreign Secretaries meeting in Colombo next month, said in reply to a question that the entire gamut of bilateral relations including border issues will also come up for discussion.

If the official-level meeting fails to resolve the disputes, the matter will be taken up at higher level, he said in reply to a question.

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Section  : International
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