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Tara Shankar Sahay in New Delhi
India and Bangladesh signed an agreement on Wednesday on the terms of reference to resolve the border dispute between the countries, for which purpose they have formed joint working groups.
A senior Union home ministry official told rediff.com that the two JWGs would study the problem of the undemarcated sections of the border after conducting a joint survey.
They will also consider the exchange of enclaves and land held in 'adverse possession'.
The official said the JWGs would submit their reports to the two foreign secretaries by April 2002 after which the final round of discussions will be held to resolve the problem.
Of the 4,096km border, 6.5km remains undemarcated while there are a total of 111 enclaves in adverse possession.
The official pointed out that the undemarcated portion of the border would have pillars put up after the joint survey.
The recent tension and skirmishes at the border did not figure at the two-day meeting. Though a Border Security Force representative was present, he maintained a stoic silence.
The official added that aggressive patrolling by the BSF was being continued in the Assam sector.
Referring to Boraibari in Assam, the official indicated that the BSF had submitted a report to the central government that it was in Indian possession whereas the Bangladesh Rifles has claimed that Boraibari belongs to them.
Significantly, Union Home Minister Lal Kishenchand Advani had told Bangladesh's High Commissioner for India Mustafa Faruqui Mohammed, when he went to deliver a letter from the Bangladeshi home minister on Tuesday, that India would not forget the brutal murders of 16 BSF personnel in a hurry.
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