Bangladesh News

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said in parliament Bangladesh will soon send a diplomatic protest note to UN against the claim of India and Myanmar over extended continental shelf of the Bay of Bengal.

“Bangladesh’s permanent mission at UN is preparing the protest note in consultation with local and foreign experts and it will be submitted to UN soon,” the premier said in a scripted answer responding to a query of BNP lawmaker Zafrul Islam Chowdhury.

Besides Bangladesh, neighbouring India and Myanmar have share over the Bay. The two countries have submitted their claims to UN over the extended continental shelf on May 11 and December 16 last year, she said.

The premier added Bangladesh would have to submit its claims to UN over 150 nautical miles or more area beyond 200 nautical miles of the extended continental shelf of the Bay by July 27, 2011.

“Bangladesh is making all preparations to submit its claims to the Commission on Limits of Continental Shelf [CLCS] of UN before the deadline,” Hasina said.

She said the preparatory work is going on under supervision of the foreign ministry. The CLCS will make its recommendations after examining all facts, which is a time consuming matter, she added.

Hasina said Bangladesh has already declared 12 nautical miles of the Bay as its territorial sea, 18 nautical miles as contiguous zone and 200 nautical miles as economic zone as per the Territorial Waters and Maritime Zones Act, 1974.

The prime minister said the area of extended continental shelf claimed by Bangladesh is 29,000 square nautical miles. This conflict with the claim of Myanmar while 22,000 square nautical miles are in conflict with the claim of India, she said reviewing the two neighbouring countries’ claims submitted to the UN.

ASIAN HIGHWAY
In response to AL lawmaker Shahiduzzaman Sarker, Hasina said the cabinet has already approved in principle to join the Asian Highway.

On approval of the cabinet, a proposal to this effect will be sent to the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). The work for implementation of the Asian Highway will begin upon approval of ESCAP.