Hopes high on bilateral talks to resume stalled Indo-Bangla border dev works

Despite a 2017 prime minister-level go-ahead, at least half a dozen development works within 150 yards of the Indo-Bangla border zero line hit the brakes thanks to objections by the Indian Border Security Force, according to Bangladesh authorities.

The infrastructures include development of four land ports in north and south-eastern swathe of Bangladesh, Feni River embankment protection project, and upgradation of Akhaura-Laksam railroads.

India too has nearly 30 border-side projects pending clearance as repeated bilateral talks could not untangle those, according to the High Commission of India in Dhaka.

Though a standard operating procedure (SOP) drafted by Delhi in late 2021 shows a way to unblock land port works, the SOP does not mention other infrastructures by the border – which led an inter-ministerial meeting on 26 January to express concern over project cost and time escalation.

According to the meeting minutes, the foreign ministry sought a complete list of such projects stalled due to objections by the Border Security Force (BSF) of India. The Bangladesh foreign ministry has convened a follow-up meeting on Tuesday.

Mashfee Binte Shams, secretary (east) ambassador at the foreign ministry, told the 26 January meeting that the ministry could talk to its counterpart in February in this regard.

The Indo-Bangladesh Boundary Agreement 1974 restricts any construction within 150 yards of the zero line. But Dhaka and Delhi have been constructing structures at numerous border points for the past ten years to address the growing needs of both the neighbours.

Delhi sent its draft SOP to Dhaka in November last year, while the Indian High Commission to Bangladesh sent a note verbale to the foreign ministry on 8 November last year.

In the note verbale, Delhi said both the countries will share details of the land customs offices, integrated check-posts and land ports. If the border forces notice any adverse development in those areas, they may inform the higher authorities for further decisions instead of blocking the work on ground.

When contacted, India's High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Doraiswami said a bilateral inter-ministerial meeting is slated for 22 February in New Delhi to jointly address the pending border-side infrastructure issues.

According to sources who joined the inter-ministerial meeting, the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) sits with its counterpart, the BSF, if any border-area project faces BSF objections. BSF field-level officers usually say they do not have any instruction from their superior to allow construction within 150 yards of the zero line. But when Indian higher authorities are contacted they claim that the field BSF officials had already been briefed – leading the issues to remain unsettled.

Embankment work stalled since 2017

The Joint Rivers Commission, Bangladesh said a project to protect the bank of the common River Feni has been stalled at 18 points since 2017 in the wake of objections from the BSF. Despite repeated attempts by Dhaka, the Indian authorities are not withdrawing the objections.

Besides, the BSF has objected to Bangladesh's work at a point of the River Kushiyara.

In 2019, Dhaka and Delhi signed a water-sharing deal for the River Feni, allowing India to withdraw 1.82 cusecs (cubic feet per second) of water from the river.

Mohammad Mahmudur Rahman, member of the Joint Rivers Commission, Bangladesh, told The Business Standard that they contacted Indian authorities, seeking withdrawal of the BSF's objections on the River Feni issue. Besides, measures have been taken to settle the issue through secretary-level talks.

He said the BSF withdrew its objection at several points of the River Kushiyara, but still opposes Bangladesh's establishment at one point.

BSF objection set to make rail project pricier

Railway officials said construction of the Kasba rail station and a rail bridge over the River Salna under the Akhaura-Laksam railroad project has been stalled for eight months due to BSF objections. But the railway infrastructures have been in the area since 1890 and Bangladesh is only upgrading the existing rail link.

Bangladesh shared the project details funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) with India even before finalising it.

Shahidul Islam, director of the project, told The Business Standard on Saturday that work of the project has been postponed at two points.

Project officials said both the loan term and project cost will go up if India does not walk back on the decision.

At the inter-ministerial meeting, Bangladesh Land Port Authority Chairman Md Alamgir said BSF objection got in the way of constructing Belonia, Ramgarh, Sheola and Balla land ports.

He said the authorities will soon start development work of Bhomra, Burimari and Sonahat land ports with funding from the World Bank and the ADB.

People and trades bear the brunt: Doraiswami

Referring to nearly 30 Indian projects in areas within 150 yards of the zero line, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram Doraiswami told TBS that the pending clearances have an adverse effect on facilitating trade.

He said the pending projects – some pending for more than five years – include buildings for integrated check posts, trade infrastructure, border roads, culverts, embankments on rivers, and even flagpole bases.

"In most of these projects, land has been acquired and budgetary allocations have been unspent year after year, leading to increased cost and unfinished projects," Vikram Doraiswami told TBS.

While citing examples of such projects by India, he mentioned an integrated development complex at Manughat and several similar projects at Muhurighat, Agartala, Srimantapur and Dawki in the neighbouring country.

"The time and cost overruns in the projects have caused immense hardship to citizens on both sides," noted the High Commissioner.

The Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh said, "It is precisely because the process of asking border guarding forces to clear all proposals for infrastructure work within 150 yards of the zero line has not been yielding results for the past several years that India has proposed a bilateral inter-ministerial mechanism to jointly address all pending issues for border infrastructure that are on the table.

"We had hoped to host this meeting in January itself, but the third wave of the pandemic delayed that. This meeting is now scheduled for 22 February 2022 in New Delhi."

Doraiswami said Delhi approaches the upcoming meeting with "a constructive perspective", and the issues must be cleared with "an open, cooperative and problem-solving approach".