Bangladesh lost in sea dispute with India: BNP

The BNP has claimed Bangladesh has lost 6,000 sq km territory in a verdict on maritime boundary dispute with India issued by an international tribunal.

In an official reaction on Thursday, the party said the government was not sufficiently active to bring the verdict to the favour of Bangladesh.

As a result, it further claimed, India's dominance has been established over the sea.

The BNP also blamed Awami League government for losing the South Talpatti Island.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in Netherlands handed over its verdict on disputed territory in the Bay of Bengal to the two nations on Monday, giving Bangladesh 19,467 sq km out of the estimated total disputed area of 25,602 sq km.

Former water resources minister M Hafizuddin Ahmed, former diplomat Riaz Rahman, BNP leaders Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury and Enam Ahmed Chowdhury held a press conference at the party chairperson's Gulshan office to issue an official reaction.

"We lost our rightful territory in the sea because there were no experienced and skilled representatives at the PCA. We lost South Talpatti Island," Hafiz said.

"We believe the verdict has helped India establish absolute dominance over the Bay of Bengal."

"What the government is saying about a victory is wrong. They said the same thing during the Myanmar boundary resolution, but in reality we lost several oil-gas blocks there," he said.

Bringing up the South Talpatti Island, he said, "That island is an inseparable part of Bangladesh. Bangladesh claimed sovereignty over it during Ziaur Rahman's regime. He had taken the issue of this island to an international level."

"India also claimed sovereignty over the island, and both countries sent warships there. We should not have let go of that island," he told the press.

The government, however, has said that Talpatti no longer exists.

"Although its location has fallen under Indian territory due to the verdict, a large area to the south of that is within our territory now," former foreign minister Dipu Moni said.

The sandbar landform of about 2,500 square kilometres emerged in the bay after a cyclone in 1970. At the end of the ‘90s, it disappeared back into the sea.

At an event earlier in the day, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took a potshot at Hafiz's statement on the island.

"They did nothing, but they're trying to find faults with this success. That gentleman should be sent to the sea. Let him find that island, build a house and stay there."

BNP Vice-Chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury said Maritime Affairs Unit Secretary Md Khurshed Alam's claim that the island does did exist was false.

"South Talpatti exists. The maps from 1975 prove that."

"An updated map was published during Ziaur Rahman's time. Now that India has got it, the government is saying it doesn't exist," he said.

"Khurshed used to work in the navy back then. He went to Talpatti with a navy warship. We put a lighthouse there. Now he's saying the opposite."

Hafiz alleged that experienced lawyers and experts were not sent to the PCA on behalf of Bangladesh.

"India sent a judge of its own. But we appointed a judge from Ghana," he said.

"PS Rao played an important role for India. He issued several notes of dissent. But the judge who worked for us didn't issue a single note of dissent."

He said India had sent their attorney general to the hearing but Bangladesh did not.

"We did not utilise an international legal expert like Kamal Hossain or the experienced former secretary KS Morshed," he added.

He responded to an accusation by Awami League leaders that the previous governments did nothing to ensure maritime boundary.

"BNP government formed a separate maritime cell at the foreign ministry, appointed skilled people and sent them to the US for training. We put the cell in their own building."

"We also conducted surveys in the bay," he added.

He called on the government to disclose the details of the verdict.

"We believe there are a lot of discrepancies in the verdict. We know how much we got, but the government is mum about how much India got. The nation is being kept in the dark," Hafiz said.

"A neighbouring state is controlling our internal politics and foreign diplomacy. We want the foreign ministry to give detailed explanations on the verdict," he added.