Bangladesh wins maritime boundary case against India

Diplomatic Correspondent: Netherlands based the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) has delivered its judgment in favor of Bangladesh in the dispute concerning the delimitation of the maritime boundary between Bangladesh and India in the Bay of Bengal.

 

In the verdict, Bangladesh has been awarded an area of 19,467 square kilometres against the demand of 25, 602 square kilometres in the Bay.

The foreign ministry disclosed the verdict at a press conference on Tuesday noon. Foreign Minister Abul Hasan Mahmud Ali, State Minister Md. Shahriar Alam, former Foreign Minister Dipu Moni and senior officers of the ministry were present at the press conference.

 

At the press conference, the foreign minister said, “It is the victory of both countries- India and Bangladesh, and people of both countries will be benefited from the verdict”.
   

Earlier on Monday, the Netherlands based the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) handed over the verdict to the foreign ministry.

The hearings of the case ended in December last year when both sides argued their case before the court.

Bangladesh on October 8, 2009 had moved for an arbitration concerning its maritime boundary dispute with India and served an arbitration notice on the neighboring country in this regard.

The argument focused on issues including the location of the land boundary terminus, the delimitation of the territorial sea, the exclusive economic zone, and the continental shelf within and beyond 200 nautical miles.

Bangladesh won a landmark verdict against Myanmar at the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea on March 14, 2012.

risingbd/July 08, 2014/correspondent/mukul