Population, land survey in enclaves begins (video)

An official survey began today to confirm enclave dwellers’ choice of nationality following exchange of enclaves between Bangladesh and India.

The survey will cover the population and the amount of land in 162 enclaves inside Bangladesh and India as per the Land Boundary Agreement.

The survey began from 11:30am this morning in a festive atmosphere, our Kalkata correspondent reports quoting Diptiman Sen Gupta, joint secretary of India-Bangladesh enclave exchange convening committee.

A total of 25 camps have been opened to carry out the survey. Fifteen Indian teams will carry out the survey in 111 Indian enclaves in Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Panchagarh and Nilphamari. Twenty-five Bangladeshi teams will conduct the survey on 51 Bangladeshi enclaves in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal.

Every team, comprising of five members, will have representatives from both countries, and a supervisor to monitor their activities, reports our Lalmonirhat correspondent.

“Ten percent of the survey will be completed on the first day,” Gupta hoped after visiting different enclaves including Shibpasad-Mustafiz, Mashaldanga and Puaturkathir enclaves.

People welcomed the survey works in a cheerful manner and they are co-operating the officials, said Mahbubur Rahman of Bangladesh and Sajal Sarker of India, who are conducting survey at Shibprasad-Mustafiz enclave.

P Ulanganathak, administration of Cooch Behar district, said the survey is going on amid tight security with the help of BGB and police.

The survey will continue till July 16, and the teams will submit reports to the authorities concerned of the two countries by the end of this month.

A total of 37,369 people live in the 111 Indian enclaves inside Bangladesh while 14,215 people live in the 51 Bangladeshi enclaves inside Indian territories.

A joint delegation of Bangladesh and India will finalise the survey and decide on the matter of citizenship of the enclave dwellers. It will then prepare a list of Bangladeshi and Indian nationals, and send it to the authorities concerned of the two countries.

The two governments will then finalise the list by July 31 and arrange for their rehabilitation in the country of their choice.