DHAKA: Bangladesh and India have started the process of verification of people living in 162 enclaves, to be exchanged between two neighboring nations as per the Land Boundary Agreement, on Monday (July 6).

The joint verification process began at 9:00am in all enclaves is expected to be continued till July 16.
A 66-member Indian team arrived here to verify people of 11 Indian enclaves inside Bangladesh.

On the other hand a 34-member Bangladesh team left for India to start verification process of 51 Bangladesh enclaves inside India.
Trained surveyors reached respective survey area before 9:00am. 

Rokanuzzaman Sohel, a surveyor to verify people at enclaves located in Lalmonirhat, told banglanews that a three-member team comprising a Indian surveyor and Bangladeshi surveyor under a supervisor has been appointed at small enclaves.

Besides, six-member team will discharge their duty at large enclaves. A camp was also set up at every enclave, he added.

During verification process, police from concerned Thana and members of local unit Border Guard Bangladesh have been deployed to maintain law and order, says Lalmonirhat deputy commissioner Habibur Rahman.

During the intensive exercise, government officials will ask people living in the enclaves whether they would like to take Bangladeshi
citizenship or want to remain as Indians.

Bangladesh has 51 enclaves inside India, covering a total of 7,110 acres whereas India has 111 enclaves inside Bangladesh jointly comprising 17,160 acres of land.

Bangladesh and India will implement the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) of 1974 and Protocol of 2011, in a phased manner over the next 11 months.

Between July 31, 2015 and June 30, 2016, the entire process, including physical exchange of enclaves and land parcels in adverse possession along with boundary demarcation, is expected to be completed.

India and Bangladesh will print, sign at plenipotentiary level and exchange the strip maps of the un-demarcated sectors by the Appointed Day.

Both governments will facilitate "orderly, safe and secure passage" to the enclave dwellers along with their "personal belongings and movable property" to Bangladesh or India through proper "travel documents", according to a letter exchanged by the two countries.

The passage "will be arranged by the respective governments take place by November 30, 2015".
India and Bangladesh have also outlined the modalities of a complex process of settlement of immovable property.

The dwellers, who are hoping to move from one enclave to another country as proper citizen for the first time since Independence, will have to provide "details of the records and specifications of immovable property" to the local district administration.

The details will be posted in the public domain by the administrations and the governments will "facilitate remittance of sales proceeds" of the property.

BDST: 1440 HRS, JULY 06, 2015
RS/SMS