DHAKA: The location of a tiny island and the flow of a river into the Bay of Bengal are the main points of negotiation as India and Bangladesh discuss their maritime boundary after a gap of 28 years.
The island is called South Talpatty by Bangladesh and Purbasha or New Moore Island by India. The flow of Hariabhanga River’s channels around it is one of the principal points of dispute between the two neighbors.
As per the rules drawn up by Sir Cyril Radcliffe for demarcating the border when India was partitioned and Pakistan was created in 1947, if there is a river on the border, then the mid-current of the river will be the borderline. Since its emergence in 1971, Bangladesh has been identifying its border according to the Radcliffe rules.
Bangladesh officials claim that the main channel of the Hariabhanga River flows through the west side of South Talpatty while their Indian counterparts claim the eastern channel is the main flow, The Daily Star newspaper said.
The island is still in formation, visible only during low tides, emerging in the estuary of the Hariabhanga River, the bordering river in the southwestern part of the country. “We’ve just started talks and the discussion has been very cordial,” said M.A.K. Mahmud, additional secretary to the Foreign Ministry, who is leading the 15-member Bangladesh delegation at the three-day talks.
