India asks Bangla to allow Chittagong Port for NE States

Dhaka: During a meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia here on Tuesday, Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed sought access for goods from northeast India to the modernised Chittagong port. Begum Zia directed her officials to hold an early technical session to operationalise the Sealdah-Joypora rail link, which would provide a connection between Kolkata and Dhaka.


Mr. Ahamed, who also met Bangladesh Foreign Minister Morshed Khan, discussed the boundary issue, Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran told presspersons later.


Mr. Saran said the Indian and Bangladeshi Ministers for Water Resources would jointly visit riverine areas later this month. Following a meeting of the Joint Working Group on the boundary issue, teams from the two countries would visit 'enclaves' and areas of 'adverse possession' (where Bangladeshis live on Indian territory and Indians live on Bangladeshi area).


'We would like a joint survey of these areas,' Mr. Saran said.


Asked why the two sides were unable to end differences over delineating 6.5 km of the border, he pointed out that India had offered a 'package' to resolve the issue.


As the administration was not clearly defined in the enclaves and areas of 'adverse possession,' these issues should be resolved at the earliest.