Sylhet-Meghalaya Joint Border Survey Resumes

Sylhet, Apr 6 : The joint survey of the Sylhet-Meghalaya border resumed yesterday after suspension of three and a half months.

Sources said, the survey team and BGB officials discussed a few documents on Padua-Protappur border with the Indian land officials.

Acting Commanding Officer of the 5 Battalion of BGB, Sylhet, Major Naim told this correspondent, "We had some preliminary discussion yesterday as the survey is going to resume after months".

Hopefully the job would start in a day or two, he said adding, "We would talk to the Indians again at 10:30 am today".

In the wake of repeated incidents of intrusion for paddy crops and fishing as well as killing of Bangladesh nationals by the BSF and by the Indian Khasia tribesmen, the authorities decided for a joint survey on the Jaintapur, Gowainghat and Kanaighat borders. Accordingly, the survey began on 7 December last year.

But it came to a halt after the 14 December incident, when about 500 armed Indians, backed by the BSF intruded into the Bangladesh territory and occupied some lands on Padua border. However, they retreated in the face of chase by thousands of villagers.

As the preparation for survey work started yesterday morning on Dibirhaor near border pillar 1284 and near 1270 at Padua border, the Indians claimed 55.3 acres of Dibir haor (water body) and 320 acres on Padua borders that had been in possession of Bangaldesh.

However, they failed to produce any documentary evidence in support of their claims, officials said.

Asked about the Indian claims, an official said, we placed our documents on the boundary pillars and accordingly we asked for documents from Indians in support of their claims.

Border sources informed that the Indian Khasia tribesmen had been opposing the survey on Dibir haor borders in Jaintapur upazila claiming 55 acres of Bangladesh lands.

Same way the Indians pressed for suspending survey on the Sonarhat-Lynkhat borders, where about 80 acres of Bangladesh land, in addition to the 100 acres on Protappur-Padua borders had been in the Indian possession.

An uneasy calm has been prevailing on about 20- kilometre border area from Sonarhat to Dibir haor in Gowainghat, Kanaighat and Jaintapur upazilas as the joint border survey on the Adversely Possessed Lands (APL) began on 7 December.

The then BDR chiefs also visited the said borders last year after the untoward incidents with the Indians.

Over a hundred civilians sustained injuries in guntight and villagers left their homes for days after the clash.