Indo-Bangla sea border talks begin after 28 years

---

Bangladesh and India discussed the possible starting point of demarcation of their maritime boundaries, as the two next-door neighbours began three-day talks in the city Monday, after a lapse of 28 years, reports UNB.
"The day's focus was on setting the starting point for demarcating the maritime boundaries," said a senior official of Bangladesh, who attended the meeting.
He said the starting point is to mark the respective economic zones from the coastal line. "We've had a friendly discussion on the first day and are hopeful about fruitful discussions," said another official.
Additional foreign secretary MAK Mahmood is leading the 15-member Bangladesh delegation while rear admiral BR Rao (Chief Hydrographer) leading the seven-member Indian delegation at the meeting at Foreign Ministry.
Bangladesh is holding the talks with India to resolve the disputes over maritime boundaries so it could submit its claim of sea boundaries to the United Nations within a stipulated timeframe of 2011.
According to the United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea, Bangladesh must demarcate its sea boundaries by 2011 while India and Myanmar by 2009.
Officials said international oil companies (IOCs) do not feel encouraged to explore oil and gas in the offshore of the countries having their maritime boundaries unsettled.
However, Bangladesh recently invited bids for its 28 offshore blocks and received bids for 15 blocks. Of them, 9 blocks have been selected for awarding to the IOCs.
The officials were hopeful about settling the issue of boundary dispute and lay its claim to the UN by the stipulated timeframe. On the home front, officials claim they were at the final stage to submit the claim.