Dhaka-Delhi maritime talks Tuesday
Dhaka, March 16 (bdnews24.com)Bangladesh and India will resume crucial maritime border talks in New Delhi on Tuesday after a pause of six months.
A six-member delegation from Dhaka, headed by additional foreign secretary MAK Mahmood, left for the Indian capital on Monday for the two-day meeting, foreign secretary Md Touhid Hossain told bdnews24.com.
"This is a technical committee meeting," he said.
"And we should not expect any result right away," said Hossain. "The meetings will continue."
The last meeting of the technical teams took place on Sept 15 last year after a gap of three decades.
Bangladesh, India and Myanmar have yet to fully explore oil-gas options in the Bay as the three countries have long-standing disputes over their sea boundaries.
Of Bangladesh 's total 28 exploration blocks in the Bay, India claims ownership of nine and Myanmar 11.
The two neighbours made counter-claims in such ways that entry of vessels to Bangladesh's Chittagong and Mongla ports would be blocked, say foreign ministry sources.
Dhaka and New Delhi last year agreed to hold talks on sea boundary demarcation as India will have to submit its sea boundary map to the UN by June this year.
If Delhi submits its sea boundary map without resolving disputes by June, Bangladesh will be entitled to lodge a protest.
Dhaka also started maritime talks with Myanmar last year.
Myanmar has already submitted the map of its sea boundary to the UN without resolving disputes with Bangladesh.
Bangladesh protested to the UN, according to foreign ministry sources.
According to the UN treaties, Bangladesh will have to demarcate its maritime boundary by July 2011.
At the last meeting in Dhaka, Bangladesh and India failed to agree on how the mid-point of Hariabhanga River should be measured, which would be the starting point for border demarcation.
Bangladesh proposed at the meeting that the middle point should be determined from the western side of the Hariabhanga.
But India wanted that it should start from the eastern side.
But they agreed to continue the dialogue.
The technical committees will try to reach consensus on demarcation details before recommending a final agreement.
According to UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on Laws of Sea) 1982, Bangladesh's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) should extend up to 200 nautical miles, with a further 150 nautical miles of extended continental shelf falling within its maritime boundary.
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