AGP lawmakers protest against tabling of Bangladesh Land Demarcation Bill

Lawmakers of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) protested in New Delhi on Thursday against the Congress Party for introducing the Bangladesh Land Demarcation Bill in the Rajya Sabha.

The agreement on the demarcation of land boundary between Bangladesh and India and related matters, signed in May 1974 is a unique document that epitomises the depth of the friendship, goodwill and mutual trust and above all, the vision of peace and harmony of two great statesmen- former Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his then Indian counterpart Indira Gandhi.

However, the introduction of the bill by the Congress before parliament adjourned sine die drew the ire of several political parties, including the TMC and the BJP.

"We the members of Asom Gana Parishad are protesting against the introduction of the 119 Constitution Amendment Bill, this is against Assam. They (Congress) have introduced the bill. In protest we have demonstrated here," said AGP lawmaker Biren Prasad Baishya.

Additional protocols for 1974 Land Boundary Agreement, signed during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Dhaka in September 2011, require a constitutional amendment for ratification as these involve exchange of land in 111 Indian enclaves in Bangladesh and 51 Bangladeshi enclaves on Indian soil. Bangladesh has already ratified the pact.

Indian enclaves in Bangladesh are spread over 17,149 acres, while Bangladesh enclaves in India are located in 7,110 acres of land.

This comprehensive agreement was intended to resolve all lingering and vexing problems that history had bequeathed on the two nations. It has been recognised by all concerned that the implementation of the agreement in letter and spirit is a sine qua non for the redress of the causes of tension and conflicts, big and small, along the long border between the two countries.