Chidambaram to visit Dhaka for accord on boundary, enclaves

New Delhi, July 27 (PTI) Indian Home Minister P
Chidambaram will travel to Dhaka on July 29 to finalise an
agreement relating to boundary demarcation and enclaves
adversely held by the two countries.
During his 24-hour stay in Dhaka, Chidambaram will meet
his Bangladeshi counterpart Sahara Khatun on Saturday and is
expected to meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, leader of
opposition Khaleda Zia and other leaders.
The two countries had last week had concluded a joint
headcount in 162 enclaves on both sides of their borders.
The enclaves, or areas locked by territories belonging
to the other side, have been an unresolved border issue
between the two countries since the partition of the
subcontinent, causing untold difficulties to the people there
in matters of connectivity, power and education.
Bangladesh and India share 4,096 KM border, of which 6.1
kilometres is still un-demarcated and a deal on this too is
expected to be given finishing touches during the Home
Minister's visit to Dhaka.
The two countries have 162 such enclaves -- 111 of
them Indian territories inside Bangladesh.
The Joint Boundary Working Group meeting between the
two sides and subsequent Home Secretary-level talks earlier
this year had decided to expedite the process of exchanging
the enclaves under a 1974 Indira-Mujib agreement.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will visit Bangladesh in
September. PTI ACB
ASR