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Sea Limit Row with India

Dhaka not interested to settle it bilaterally

Rezaul Karim
Bangladesh is not interested in resolving the maritime boundary issue with India through bilateral talks as it believes the UN's Permanent Court of Arbitration would deliver a verdict giving it proper share of the Bay of Bengal.
Official sources said Bangladesh government is now confident that the UN's Permanent Court of Arbitration, based in The Hague, would deliver a judgement similar to the one given by the International Tribunal for the Law of the
Sea (ITLOS) onMarch 14.
On that day, the tribunal rejected Myanmar's claims over its maritime boundary in the Bay and delivered a verdict in Bangladesh's favour.
“Both the cases are similar...India and Myanmar almost at the same time had drawn lines [on the map of the Bay of Bengal] in such unfair and unlawful manner that it cut off significant portions of Bangladesh's maritime area in the Bay of Bengal. If we can get justice from ITLOS, then why should we not get justice from
the Court of Arbitration,” said a senior official of the foreign ministry.
Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pankaj Saran on Saturday expressed New Delhi's willingness to discuss and resolve the maritime boundary issue with Bangladeshbilaterally.
Asked whether Dhaka would respond to New Delhi's suggestion for talks, the official, who wanted not to be named, said, “Are you crazy? Why should we go for bilateral discussion with India now? The arbitration process for the settlement is now going ahead and we want to resolve the issue induecourse.”
The official said Bangladesh had repeatedly asked India to the table for talks before lodging the case on October 8, 2009.
Bangladesh proposed talks even in January, 2010, when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited NewDelhi.
Instead of responding to Bangladesh's calls, India drew its line on the map of the Bay of Bengal unfafrly and unlawfully and that encouraged Myanmar to do the same, the official said.
Finding no alternative to resolving the disputes, Bangladesh lodged the cases against India and Myanmar with the two UN courts.
Another foreign ministry official said it would not be at all wise to withdraw the case from the UN court and go for bilateral talks with India as progress has been made in the arbitration process.
“It may be a trap, we should not step into any trap,” he said, adding, “The condition of the
coalition government in India seems very vulnerable and this government cannot deliver Bangladesh any good, so we shouldnotmakeanyimportant decision with India like the marl timeboundary issue.”
The official cited the examples of the recently signed agreements, including Protocol on Land Boundary Agreement and non-signing of the Teesta water-sharing treaty.
Foreign Minister Dipu Moni on Saturday informed the new Indian high commissioner that the arbitration process to settle the maritime boundary issue is going ahead and it would be resolved in due course.
She is expected to make Bangladesh's position clear again at a press conference scheduled for this afternoon.