Dhaka, Delhi launch joint census for enclaves

DHAKA, July 14 (BSS) - Bangladesh and India today launched a joint census to count population in 162 enclaves on both sides of the borders as the two neighbours await a tangible decision to end a protracted cross-border problem during Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Dhaka tour in September.

"Joint teams of both the countries have completed the preparatory works for the headcount at enclaves today and we expect the counting to complete in next two days and refer the matter to political level for a decision," home ministry joint secretary Kamaluddin Ahmed told BSS.

A foreign ministry spokesman supplemented him saying the first ever census was being overseen by senior concerned officials of both the countries as the process was underway as the pieces of land located in each other's territory could be exchanged under a political decision.

Bangladesh and India share over 4,000 kilometers of common porous border, of which 6.1 kilomtres were still un-demarcated while the two countries have 162 such enclaves, 111 of them being Indian ones inside Bangladesh and the rest 51 being Bangladeshi ones inside India.

The survey came as the Joint Boundary Working Group meeting and subsequent home secretary level talks earlier this year decided to expedite the process of exchange the enclaves under a 1974 agreement.

Officials familiar with the process earlier said the surveyors would use a simple form for the head counting of residents of the enclaves for the first time since the 1947 partition of the Indian sub-continent.

"We are hoping to reach an understanding (on enclave issues) that will be pragmatic and take account of the ground realities keeping in mind the spirit of the Land Boundary Agreement (of 1974)," foreign minister Dipu Moni told a joint press conference last week after talks with her Indian counterpart SM Krishna in Dhaka.

She added Dhaka expected that "we will be able to end the uncertainties and hardships of the people living in these areas".

The enclaves which are like 'islands of land' appeared as a major cross-border issue after the 1947 partition of the Indian subcontinent though the ownership arrangements were made centuries ago as the then local kings exchanged pieces of land of their estates winning or losing gambling.

Several historians, however, said the messy situation originated since the 18th century peace treaties between the kingdom of Cooch Behar, now in the Indian state of West Bengal, and the Mughal Empire.

The enclave residents, who are virtually state- less refugees, need to cross international border every day for cultivation and they need to follow the official formalities as well as clearance from the paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) or formerly BDR, and India's Border Security Force (BSF) frontier guards.

Officials said most of the residents of all the enclaves earlier agreed to change their nationalities under the exchange plans but they would again be given chances to opt for migration once the exchanges were made.

Posted in: Delhi launch joint census for enclaves,Dhaka