The Union cabinet has approved the legislation the 119th Constitutional Amendment bill on land boundary agreement (LBA) with Bangladesh. The bill seeks to exchange several enclaves located along the common border of both nations. The land borders involved in the exchange are located in the North eastern states of Assam, West Bengal, Meghalaya and Tripura. Once approved by Parliament, the law will enable exchange of territories between the two countries.
The Constitution (119th Amendment) Bill, 2013 aims to ratify the LBA between India and Bangladesh under the Indira-Mujib pact of 1974 to exchange areas and people on either side of the border.
The NDA government at the center has been taking many efforts to boost relations with Bangladesh, including a new visa policy. Indian PM Modi Ji, who is following a neighborhood-first foreign policy, has been continuously working on strengthening the relationship with all South Asian Neighbors.
In 2011, the bill was failed to get Parliament’s backing. The BJP had objected to LBA because as per the agreement, India will lose around 10,000 acres and India, in turn, will receive 7,110 acres from Bangladesh.
India is using the benefits of electricity commerce as a key to development in the region. India already has power grid links with Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh.
Tidbits
- Capital of Bangladesh – Dhaka
- Currency of Bangladesh – Taka
- President – Abdul Hamid
- Prime Minister – Sheikh Hasina
GK Questions
- Who became the first Hindu to hold the highest judicial post in Bangladesh? Surendra Kumar Sinha.
- Who wrote the National Anthem of Bangladesh? Rabindranath Tagore.
- The disputed island between India and Bangladesh is ? New Moore Island or South Talpatti.
