AGARTALA, Nov 23 (TIWN): Indian farmers have been cultivating in the 63-acre Muhurichar enclave area at Belonia since 44 years, which may go to Bangladesh domain now, as the Indo-Bangla meet at Dhaka ended unsuccessfully. Due to lack of communication by state govt with central govt, lack of protests lead by local panchayats, political parties, the Muhuri Char may go to Bangladesh causing a huge loss to the farmers of Belonia, also may hurt the sentiment related to the soil of Muhuri Char. Talking to Badal Choudhury, the PWD Minister of Tripura, he told TIWN that Tripura Govt is fully agreed with the Manmohon-Hasina demarcation, whereas the Modi Govt signed demarcation with Hasina is not acceptable. But before going to Dhaka, the Central Govt officials didn’t bother to talk to the Tripura Minister but the Muhuri Char is actually Indian territory, claimed Chowdhury. Sources said that after the deal was signed then Tripura PWD Minister raised his voice, whereas during demarcation although state govt officials were present but they didn’t say anything, which created much confusions later. In the Dhaka meeting the Indian officials told their Bangladeshi counterparts that according to the Indira-Mujib accord, the boundary should be the mid-course of the Muhuri river.

The Bangladesh officials objected to this logic, saying the course of the river has changed many times during the past 44 years.

The Indira-Mujib agreement was signed on March 19, 1972 between the then Indian and Bangladeshi Prime Ministers, Indira Gandhi and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, to determine various issues of the two countries, including 1971 as the cut-off year to identify the Bangladeshi infiltrators and refugees to India.

In an attempt to complete the border fencing works by 2017, Indo-Bangla joint meet to be held on Thursday at Belonia Circuit house. In this regard the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also held a meeting with Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar at Civil Secretariat. 

Tripura PWD Minister Badal Choudhury had demanded for re-demarcation of Muhuri Char which delayed the fencing work at South Tripura.

In June 24 Susheel Kumar, the Secretary- Border Management (MHA) arrived in Tripura to inspect the border status of here and held a meeting with Tripura Govt. officials in the presence of Chief Secretary Y P Sing, DGP K Nagraj, RD Dept. Principal Secretary GSG Ayyanagar.

 But before his departure, he expressed extreme displease about the fencing status of Indo-Bangla border in Tripura.

 BGB  Regional Director Brigadier General Mohammad Habibul Karim on July 21 during his visit in Tripura said, “If you don’t do border-fencing alone, we will do jointly but after the partisan the security will be more strong”.

Source said that ‘Modi is keen to solve Muhuri River Dispute with Bangladesh and due to this only Sripriya Ranganathan , Joint Secretary Ministry of affairs , GOI will visit Tripura on 16th & 17th Nov in connection with the India-Bangladesh Land Voundary Agreement of 1974 and also visit Muhuri Chor sector of South Tripura’.

 The seven-member Indian delegation was led by External Affairs Ministry's Joint Secretary, Border Management, Sripriya Ranganathan, while the 12-member Bangladesh side was headed by its Home Ministry's Additional Secretary (Political) Abu Hena Mohammad Rahamatul Muneem.

But the meeting remained without any solution and due to lack of voice raised from Tripura, the matter has become so complicated, alleged a section of Belonia people.

Badal Chowdury further ‘We have no objection to give some portion Muhuri Char to Bangladesh but the demarcation must be perfect.

Sources said that, there are three separate cremation grounds of three religious communities in the Muhurichar area for several decades.