Bangladesh-India maritime boundary talks go barren

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FE Report
The three-day technical-level meeting between Bangladesh and India over the maritime boundary delimitation ended in Dhaka Wednesday without any tangible outcome following disagreement over the midstream flow of the common coastal river Haribangha that determines ownership of the disputed South Talpatty Island.
"We've difference of opinion on drawing line along the midstream of the Haribangha", MAK Mahmood, additional foreign secretary, who led the Bangladesh side at the talks held after a long break of 28 years, said.
"The meeting between the two countries was an ice-breaking one where we discussed the whole gamut of issues including territorial waters, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf," Mr Mahmood told the newsmen on conclusion of the meeting in the foreign ministry.
Further talks would help narrow down the gap between the two neighbouring countries and reach a consensus, Mr Mahmood said.
The next such meeting would be held in India and the date would be decided through diplomatic channels.
"We had wonderful discussions over the options and methodologies of maritime boundary," Indian team leader Rear Admiral BR Rao told the newsmen while hurriedly leaving the conference venue.
It was a meeting to discuss the technical issues, he said, adding "Our job was to know each other's positions."
Talking exclusively with the FE about the crux of the three-day discussion, the additional foreign secretary said: "India was favouring the 'equidistant' or 'median-line' principle for the demarcation of maritime boundaries, but we favoured the 'coastal frontage'."
India was arguing that it had demarcated the sea territory with the Maldives and Sri Lanka following the equidistant principle.
"But we have declined to accept the principle as the Maldives and Sri Lanka are located on the opposite side of India, while Bangladesh is located adjacently," Mr Mahmood said.
If the 'equidistant' principle is applied, Bangladesh would be self-locked and would be unable to claim the full extent of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) or continental shelf, a senior foreign ministry official feared.
Besides, both India and Bangladesh have discussed over the starting point to draw the dividing line from the coasts to determine the maritime delimitations.
Indian side claimed the midstream flows on the eastern side of the Haribhanga River, while Bangladesh claimed it on the western side of the river.
The Hariabhanga River is located at the estuary near the disputed South Talpatty Island in the Bay of Bengal.
If the mid flow is determined from eastern side, the South Talpatty Island goes to India while Bangladesh will get ownership of the disputed island if the main flow is determined from the western side.
Bangladesh is on the eastern side of the river and India on the west.
Foreign ministry officials said both Bangladesh and India are claiming the island covering an area of three square kilometres, lying in the estuary of the Haribhanga and the Raimongal rivers in the Bay of Bengal known as South Talpatty in Bangladesh and 'Purbasha' in India.