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India and Bangladesh are neighbours with the longest land boundary between them in South Asia. Besides sharing common history, geography and cultural heritage they also share one of the largest bilateral trade in the region. While not being adversarial as in the case of Indo-Pakistan relations, Indo-Bangladesh relations are anything but cordial. Bilateral problems between the two countries are many which continue to irritate each other. This paper seeks to discuss and delineate the border dispute, the uncertainties and suspicions that arise out of a land-border of 4,096 kms. and a maritime border of 180 kms.1 Porous borders have proved to be conducive for flow of illegal migration, insurgency, extremism, illegal trade and smuggling.
UN-DEMARCATED BORDERS
The first problem with the common border is that of nondemarcation of a 6.5 km land border along the Comilla-Tripura area. It is a historical legacy that has arisen out of difficulties in drawing boundaries as delineated by Sir Cyril Radcliffe. The border in certain stretches was demarcated along straight lines without taking into consideration ground realities and thus resulting in the division of one village between the two nations. The un-demarcated land border is spread over into three sectors which on the Indian side fall in West Bengal, Assam and Tripura. In the Assam sector (2.5 kms), India insists on applying the original gadestal map of 1915-16 of Dhumabari as the basis for demarcation. Bangladesh on the other hand insists on Theodolite Traverse Data as the basis for demarcation, whereby Bangladesh could claim three villages for itself giving India two villages. With regards to the West Bengal sector (1.5 kms), both sides agree on using Sui River as the demarcation; but India insists on the current flow of the River, while Bangladesh insists on earlier flow which would give the Daikhata area to Bangladesh. Similarly in Tripura sector (2.5 kms) due to change in the course of Muhuri River and the formation of Shashaner Char of about 46 acres which remains under Indian territory, Bangladesh is unwilling to apply the present river course as the boundary line. The disagreements stem from the fact that each would have to give up small portions of land which are at present in their respective possession.
There is a popular perception...