1,000 acres back from Bangla

Manas R Bannerjee in Adampur BOP (Malda)

Feb. 8. — India has regained more than 1,000 acres of land on the Bangladesh side after completion of a joint survey by both countries along the disputed Indo-Bangladesh border, which led to a gun battle between the two countries for three days in August last year, officials said today.Authorities said the Bangladesh officials have completed installation of almost 21 subsidiary land pillars out of 56, which were proposed to fix the alignment between the two countries. It was found that referring pillars were damaged and missing owing to erosion of the river Mahananda.The river changed its course on the Indian side in the areas of four border outposts in last few years, and the land went over to Bangladesh.These outposts are Adampur, Muchia, Ashrafpur and Krishnanagar in Malda district. Similarly, close to Sukhnagar border outpost, the river changed its course to Bangladesh, leaving a part of Bangladesh land in India.A senior BSF official said the land was occupied by Bangladeshis and they had started cultivation on it. Similarly, some Indians had occupied a part of Bangladesh land.It was decided that lands of both countries would be handed over officially when the Bangladeshis harvest their crops. At present, there is standing crop on Indian land in the Bangladesh side.The two district magistrates from India and Bangladesh would finalise the matter of “makeover” and “takeover” and both the countries will take possession of their lands soon. After finalisation of area operation between the two countries, the central public works department today organised a programme of laying the foundation stone of a proposed barbed wire fencing work at Adampur stretching for 1.23 km., officials said.The starting point is Adampur BOP adjacent to Gillabari BOP in Bangladesh. The joint survey will be continued along the border for the erection of other proposed pillars.Out of 56 pillars, 35 would be constructed in the second phase.It may be noted that after firing in this area, the matter was discussed at high-levels of both countries and it was decided that water resources ministers of the both countries would jointly visit the disputed area, but this was postponed.During dialogue between the two countries, the DG BSF had visited the disputed site when the countries were preparing the joint survey to settle the dispute.