Bangladesh to help enclave dwellers sell property

Bangladesh has reiterated that it will help in selling the immovable property of the enclave dwellers, hoping to return back to India.

The Bangladesh Chief of Army Staff, General Abu Belal Mohammad Shafiul Huq told Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh that the joint working group of the two countries is aware that those enclave dwellers shifting to India need to dispose off their immovable property.

“Such people will be helped by the respective Deputy Commissioners to enable them to sell their immovable property at remunerative market prices,” said General Huq who called on Rajnath Singh in New Delhi on Wednesday evening.

According to reports, an estimated 600 people want to migrate into India following the implementation of the land boundary agreement.

New Delhi has already sanctioned Rs 30.48 billion for rehabilitation of the people affected by the exchange of enclaves under the LBA agreement.

Government sources said that the entire process including physical exchange of enclaves and land parcels in adverse possession along with boundary demarcation is likely to be completed within next one year.

The process had started on July 31 this year.

Meanwhile, Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Bangladesh Army Chief General Huq have discussed several other issues including the issue of fishermen drifting unknowingly into each other’s territorial waters.

It was agreed in the meeting that the return of such people to their respective countries should be further expedited. 

Singh said that the strong bilateral relations between India and Bangladesh are based on mutual understanding and confidence. “The two countries are able to resolve issues amicably and the cultural and socio-economic relations are growing rapidly,” he said.

The Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, Secretary (Border Management), Shri Anoop Kumar Srivastava, Senior officers of the MHA and Bangladesh High commission were also present during the meeting.