Enclaves transfer begins July 31

Bangladesh and India will start exchanging enclaves from July 31 midnight, chosen as the "appointed date", reports bdnews24.com

Before that, there will be a "joint visit" to the enclaves to finalise the process, as set out in the letters the two sides exchanged on the modalities of implementing the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) 1974 and its protocol in 2011.

The Indian High Commission in Dhaka released the letters Monday, a day after the departure of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Mr Modi, along with his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina, witnessed the exchange of letters on June 6, the first day of his two-day visit to Dhaka.

India recently ratified the long-pending agreement, following which Mr Modi arrived on his maiden visit.

The ultimate transfer of the enclaves would finally end the stateless life of over 50,000 people, a status they have been suffering since 1947 following the partitioning of the subcontinent, keeping them stranded in 161 enclaves.

Residents included in the July 2011 joint headcounts and their children even born later have the rights to choose their nationality and citizenship.