Bangladesh News

Bangladesh and India will form a joint coordination committee, in light of the recently signed three security-related agreements, with representatives of their law enforcement and intelligence agencies to combat international terrorism, organised crimes and cross-border drug trade.

The committee will be constituted under the aegis of the home ministries of the two countries as per the terms of an agreement signed during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s recent visit to New Delhi, Foreign Secretary Mijarul Quayes yesterday said after making the official announcement about the committee.

The foreign secretary categorically said there is nothing in the said three agreements that may affect Bangladesh’s independence, sovereignty and security.

“We have not violated any law of the land and both the countries will follow their own laws and rules while cooperating each other in curbing terrorism,” he said at a press conference at the foreign ministry.

Any activity that may hamper the country’s sovereignty and security or contradict one country’s existing laws and rules will not come under the purview of the agreements, Mijarul added.

He said all the three agreements would be operational after being ratified by the two countries. “The agreements can be scrapped with six months’ advance notice by either side,” he said.

Asked about the allegation of a “secret” agreement signed with India, he said there is no question of signing any such agreement.

The foreign secretary yesterday supplied reporters with the contents of the three agreements.

In reply to a question about allowing India to use the Mongla and Chittagong ports, he said, “We want to make the two ports as a regional hub of connectivity and steps will be taken soon in this regard.”

Mijarul informed the press that Bangladesh and Myanmar have reduced differences regarding demarcation of their two countries’ maritime boundary agreeing on both the principles of equity of resources and equidistance for apportioning their territorial waters in the Bay of Bengal.

“This is a very positive development because Myanmar has recognised the principle of equity for the first time to demarcate maritime boundary,” he said.

The foreign secretary said the agreement came at the fifth meeting of the technical committees of Bangladesh and Myanmar held in Chittagong on January 8-9.

Myanmar had refused Bangladesh’s proposal for demarcating the maritime boundary on the basis of equity. Bangladesh then went to the international court to settle disputes with Myanmar as well as India.

Myanmar had always pushed for the equidistance formula for delimiting the sea boundary, said the foreign secretary, adding that Myanmar’s recognition of the principle of equity has resolved the long-standing dispute that threatened 17 of Bangladesh’s blocks in the Bay.

Replying to a question, Commodore (retd) Khurshed Alam, an additional secretary who led the Bangladesh delegation at the maritime talks with Myanmar in Chittagong, said the agreement with Myanmar means Bangladesh no longer needs to worry about losing those 17 blocks.

In reply to another question, Foreign Secretary Mijarul Quayes said, “We need not appoint an arbitrator at the UN tribunal to settle the disputes over maritime boundary delimitation with Myanmar if we can reach an agreement and solve the matter bilaterally.”

The talks with Myanmar will now make progress since the criteria of demarcation have been worked out, he added.

Mijarul, however, said Bangladesh is still in the process of appointing an arbitrator for settling the maritime dispute with India.

On sharing water of common rivers, he said the government wants to sign agreements with India on sharing water of all common rivers including the Teesta.

Defending the government’s move of an ad hoc agreement on Teesta water-sharing, he said such an interim agreement would give a common ground to strike a full treaty in the long term, which needs hydrological survey data. Bangladesh wants an interim deal because the process for a long-term accord will take time.

Replying to a question, the foreign secretary said the government will soon appoint an ambassador to Germany as the Bangladesh mission in Berlin is without an envoy for nearly two years.