why the government is only surrendering land without the Indians reciprocating it where Bangladesh has its claims. Why it is at one border zone, not covering all border points and why it is prior to Indian Prime Minister's visit.
Strategic analysts wonder how the government can unilaterally hand over the country's territory to theIndians even without informing the nation in this regard. They have demandedtransparency and a clear statement of the status of Bangladesh territory toremove fear and confusion and also bring back confidence of the nation.(The New Nation )
Former BDR chief Maj Gen. FazlurRahman, a veteran of a border skirmish with the Indian border security forcesover the control of Padua at Sylhet Tamabeel border in 2001 said Indian forcescame here initially to support the training of freedom fighters in 1971 at acamp set up inside the country.
Now they have made claim on theland and the government is reported to have handed over it telling nothing to the nation.
He said after the liberation, thefreedom fighters at Padua camp left it but some
Indian forces continued theirpresence taking advantage of the friendly relations. Political leadership at that time almost ignored the presence of these forces in the camp withoutanticipating that it may one day become an issue to cost the nation's ownershipover the land.
He told The New Nation lastevening commenting on the news report of the recent handing over of 220 acresof Padua land to the Indian authority in the wake of the Indian Home Minister PChidamboram visit to Dhaka last week.
More land at Kanaighat border wasscheduled to be handed over Monday.
Fazlur Rahman said after theindependence BDR also continued tolerating the camp inside about 1.25 km ofBangladesh territory but it continued at the same time the inspection oforiginal border pillars at their advanced locations from both sides keeping thecamp behind within Bangladesh.
He said the initial dispute cameto the fore when the Indian border security forces (BSF) made an attempt tobuild a feeder road over the no man's land connecting the camp with one oftheir nearby border outpost about 10 km away.
Maj. Gen Fazlur Rahman said asthe BDR resisted the move a protracted border war broke out in which the Indianforces landed with a brigade capacity but they were beaten back. They thenattacked BDR outpost at Roumari in an attempt to hit Bangladeshi bordersecurity forces in total surprise. But it was also defeated.
Bangladesh maintained its hold onthe Padua totaling over 230 acres of land. After the skirmishes,the Indian government sent a letter to Bangladesh government inviting adelegation to discuss the issue however without any precondition. In thatclaims made by both sides were discussed but its final settlement was leftbehind to be carried out when the Indira-Mujib agreement will be finallyimplemented.
This is how they raised the claimon the Bangladeshi land and made it disputed in the first place although allthe subsequent governments in Bangladesh maintained the nation's hold on theterritory with all steadfastness.
He wondered how the presentgovernment can make the hand over of the land without working out solutions toall outstanding disputes of land and other issues that come under Indira-Mujibagreement. How can it unilaterally agree to secede the land that belonged tothe country.
Fazlur Rahman, as far as heguesses, the total of adversely possessed land between Bangladesh and India mays tand at between three to four thousand acres, besides the disputed enclaves.Here why piecemeal settlement has been resorted only in areas where India hasits highest interest.
Referring to the enclavesproblems, he said Bangladesh is likely to get 17,000 acres of land from Indiaif it gets its all enclaves back against losing about 7,000 acres under theexchange programmes of the enclaves. The nation expects a two-way traffic, hesaid.
Another strategic analyst and a veteran soldier Maj. Gen. Ibrahim said lack of transparency of the governmentaction is only making the nation extremely scared of what is taking place atthe high power centers.
He wondered why the government is only surrendering land without the Indians reciprocating it where Bangladeshhas its claims. Why it is at one border zone, not covering all border pointsand why it is prior to Indian Prime Minister's visit when all outstandingissues are scheduled to be resolved.
He said he protests unilateralsurrender of land and demanded clear statement from the government to removeconfusion and bring back confidence to the nation.
Meanwhile, former Chief of ArmyGen Mahbubur Rahman in a clarification of the New Nation's report publishedyesterday on Tamabeel land transfer said he was not the BDR director general in1980. Actually, he attended the annual border summit with BSF in 1989 in Delhiwith the BDR chief Maj, Gen Atiqur Rahman as a member of the delegation in hiscapacity as director operations. He was a colonel that time, he said.
Former BDR chief Maj Gen. FazlurRahman, a veteran of a border skirmish with the Indian border security forcesover the control of Padua at Sylhet Tamabeel border in 2001 said Indian forcescame here initially to support the training of freedom fighters in 1971 at acamp set up inside the country.
Now they have made claim on theland and the government is reported to have handed over it telling nothing to the nation.
He said after the liberation, thefreedom fighters at Padua camp left it but some
Indian forces continued theirpresence taking advantage of the friendly relations. Political leadership at that time almost ignored the presence of these forces in the camp withoutanticipating that it may one day become an issue to cost the nation's ownershipover the land.
He told The New Nation lastevening commenting on the news report of the recent handing over of 220 acresof Padua land to the Indian authority in the wake of the Indian Home Minister PChidamboram visit to Dhaka last week.
More land at Kanaighat border wasscheduled to be handed over Monday.
Fazlur Rahman said after theindependence BDR also continued tolerating the camp inside about 1.25 km ofBangladesh territory but it continued at the same time the inspection oforiginal border pillars at their advanced locations from both sides keeping thecamp behind within Bangladesh.
He said the initial dispute cameto the fore when the Indian border security forces (BSF) made an attempt tobuild a feeder road over the no man's land connecting the camp with one oftheir nearby border outpost about 10 km away.
Maj. Gen Fazlur Rahman said asthe BDR resisted the move a protracted border war broke out in which the Indianforces landed with a brigade capacity but they were beaten back. They thenattacked BDR outpost at Roumari in an attempt to hit Bangladeshi bordersecurity forces in total surprise. But it was also defeated.
Bangladesh maintained its hold onthe Padua totaling over 230 acres of land. After the skirmishes,the Indian government sent a letter to Bangladesh government inviting adelegation to discuss the issue however without any precondition. In thatclaims made by both sides were discussed but its final settlement was leftbehind to be carried out when the Indira-Mujib agreement will be finallyimplemented.
This is how they raised the claimon the Bangladeshi land and made it disputed in the first place although allthe subsequent governments in Bangladesh maintained the nation's hold on theterritory with all steadfastness.
He wondered how the presentgovernment can make the hand over of the land without working out solutions toall outstanding disputes of land and other issues that come under Indira-Mujibagreement. How can it unilaterally agree to secede the land that belonged tothe country.
Fazlur Rahman, as far as heguesses, the total of adversely possessed land between Bangladesh and India mays tand at between three to four thousand acres, besides the disputed enclaves.Here why piecemeal settlement has been resorted only in areas where India hasits highest interest.
Referring to the enclavesproblems, he said Bangladesh is likely to get 17,000 acres of land from Indiaif it gets its all enclaves back against losing about 7,000 acres under theexchange programmes of the enclaves. The nation expects a two-way traffic, hesaid.
Another strategic analyst and a veteran soldier Maj. Gen. Ibrahim said lack of transparency of the governmentaction is only making the nation extremely scared of what is taking place atthe high power centers.
He wondered why the government is only surrendering land without the Indians reciprocating it where Bangladeshhas its claims. Why it is at one border zone, not covering all border pointsand why it is prior to Indian Prime Minister's visit when all outstandingissues are scheduled to be resolved.
He said he protests unilateralsurrender of land and demanded clear statement from the government to removeconfusion and bring back confidence to the nation.
Meanwhile, former Chief of ArmyGen Mahbubur Rahman in a clarification of the New Nation's report publishedyesterday on Tamabeel land transfer said he was not the BDR director general in1980. Actually, he attended the annual border summit with BSF in 1989 in Delhiwith the BDR chief Maj, Gen Atiqur Rahman as a member of the delegation in hiscapacity as director operations. He was a colonel that time, he said.
