DHAKA: National Identity Cards (NID) and passports will be delivered to the residents of enclaves. Allocation in this sector will be increased, if necessary.

State minister for foreign affairs informed banglanews on Monday.

He said that the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina several times promised in cabinet meetings that her incumbent government will increase the allocation for enlcavers. But first of all, the enclave people need NIDs and passports after verification.

However, Bangladesh and India on the day (June 6) started the process of verification of people living in 162 enclaves, to be exchanged between two neighboring nations as per the Land Boundary Agreement.

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 in country to verify people of 11 Indian enclaves inside Bangladesh.

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.

The two neighboring countries 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.

BDST: 2153 HRS, JULY 06, 2015
RR/SMS

** Verification at 162 enclaves begins