Work plan for LBA implementation under preparation, says FM

Bangladesh is formulating a “work plan” to implement the land boundary agreement “as soon as possible”, the foreign minister has said.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 30 May 2015, 02:57 PM
Updated : 30 May 2015, 06:15 PM

Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali was speaking at a discussion on the expectation and achievement over the LBA on Saturday.
 
He said a detailed plan would be needed for the proper implementation of the agreement.
 
Those include changes of citizenship, ownership of land, acceptance of documents, voter registration, ensuing civic facilities, and infrastructure.
 
“We would like to complete the implementation as soon as possible,” he said, adding both Dhaka and Delhi were working out the “modalities” of the implementation.
 
Bangladesh-India Friendship Society organised the discussion with its president Prof AK Azad Chowdhury in chair. Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pankaj Saran was also present.
 
The envoy said resolving the LBA issue was a “milestone” in the bilateral relations between the two neighbours.
 
The Indian parliament has passed the long awaited LBA this month paving the way for its implementation.
 
The foreign minister said this would end the “miserable and stateless” life enclaves people were leading.
 
He said this would also give the relations between the two countries a boost. “The bilateral cooperation would attain a newer height”.
 
He thanked Indian parliamentarians for passing the bill unanimously with an atmosphere of “trust”.
 
“Many of us saw the parliament live in television. It was the most gratifying to see the atmosphere of friendship and trust in both houses of the parliament when it comes to relations with Bangladesh.
 
Some parliamentarians became emotional while expressing their support for the bill due to their association with 1971 Bangladesh’s war of independence.
 
“We felt deeply humbled by such exceptional demonstration of camaraderie,” the foreign minister said.

He said it was possible due to the “exceptional” leaderships of the two countries.