Indo-Bangla land agreement may alter Assam map

The map of Assam might soon get changed as an exchange of land, adversely possessed by both India and Bangladesh along the 4,156-km international frontier, is likely to be finalized in an agreement to be signed when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, accompanied by Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi, visits the neighbouring country next month.

"We are looking for a settlement of the border dispute. We are ready to exchange the adversely possessed land and complete demarcation of the border. In fact, India will get back more land than what Bangladesh gets," Gogoi said here on Saturday.

The border dispute between the two countries is in 25 points in West Bengal, Tripura, Meghalaya and Assam - of which India adversely possesses 1,165.49 acres of Bangladesh land at 18 points. On the other hand, Bangladesh adversely possesses 1,880.81 acres of India's land at seven points.

The Daily Star, an English language newspaper published from Bangladesh, has reported that "the boundary agreement is expected to resolve the decades-old disputes involving 3,000 acres of Bangladesh land inside India, 51 enclaves and 6.5km un-demarcated border".

It added, "Similarly, India has about 3,500 acres of land and 111 enclaves adversely possessed inside Bangladesh. The border deal will involve boundary strip maps, exchange of 162 enclaves and 6,500 acres of adversely possessed land and 6.5 km un-demarcated borders between the two countries and 24-hour access to Bangladesh's Dahagram and Angarpota enclaves through Tin Bigha corridor."