6000 sqkm areas in the Bay lost

The BNP has asked the government not to play any politics centering the verdict to the maritime dispute between Bangladesh and India by the Permanent Court of Arbitration. “There is no cheer for Awami League over the verdict,” BNP vice-chairman Maj (retd) Hafizuddin Ahmed said this addressing a press conference at the party Chairperson’s Gulshan office in the city on Thursday. Chairperson’s advisers Reaz Rahman and Enam Ahmed Chowdhury and the party Vice-Chairman Shamsher Mobin Chowdhury were also present.Maj Hafiz, also a former water resources minister, demanded a complete statement on the Hague-based court’s verdict. “The government is saying Bangladesh has won. Now we are hearing that India has also won. In a verdict two sides cannot win. The loss or victory is not the issue here. It will be wise if the government does not add political colour to it,” he said.The government played the same politics after the verdict on the maritime boundary dispute with Myanmar, he recalled. The Hague-based international court has awarded Bangladesh 19,467square kilometres out of 25,602 sq km disputed area in the Bay of Bengal.The BNP expressed its displeasure for the loss of Talpatti Island, which emerged in the Bay near Satkhira in the aftermath of the 1970 hurricane. “Bangladesh has lost its control over the Talpatti Island and did not get full ownership on the exclusive continental shelf in the Bay of Bengal. The verdict has established the absolute supremacy of India in the exclusive continental shelf,” said Maj Hafiz.”Apparently it seems claim of India has been rejected by the tribunal. But the 25,000 square kilometres claimed to be the disputed area are actually inside Bangladesh territory. We lost 6,000 square kilometres of the 25,000 square kilometres,” he added.Claiming that the South Talpatti was Bangladesh’s integral part, he said that during the tenure of President Ziaur Rahman the tensions between India and Bangladesh heightened over ownership of the island. At one stage both the countries were ready to use their war ships. “We lost the Island because of the government’s negligence,” he said. He alleged that there was no Bangladeshi origin judge at the tribunal. India was represented by PS Rao. He pleaded for every issue actively. But Bangladesh was represented by the Ghanain Tomas Mensa. Bangladesh failed to do what India did, he added.