Bangladesh wins maritime dispute with India

downtoearth.org.in

Ending four decade-long dispute between India and

Bangladesh, the UN tribunal on Tuesday awarded
19,467 square kilometers, four-fifth of the total
disputed area of 25,602 sq km in the Bay of Bengal,
to the latter.

A picturesque view of Bay of Bengal

The talks on resolution to the maritime dispute over

territorial waters, which started from the formation of
the country in 1971, first began in an official
negotiation in 1974. But when bilateral efforts to
solve the issue marked no progress for next 28
years, Bangladesh then moved to UNs International
Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) in 2009. The
issue went to the Permanent Court of Arbitration

(PCA) at The Hague later in May 2011.

The conflict was largely over delimitation of the territorial sea. While India wanted the determination of the
boundary on equidistance method which means a nation's maritime boundaries should conform to a
median line equidistant from the shores of neighboring nation-states, Bangladesh was pressing for
equitable solution (a solution that led to equitable access to resources) to be reached by keeping in focus
all relevant circumstances.
Bangladesh and India have welcomed the decision of the UN tribunal which was told to both the parties on
Monday but kept under a 24-hour embargo before being made public on Tuesday. The verdict is binding on
all parties and there is no option for appeal. Bangladesh had won a similar case against Myanmar in 2012
at the International Tribunal for the Law of Sea in Hamburg, Germany.
During Indias external affairs minister Sushma Swarajs visit to Dhaka in June this year, spokesperson of
the ministry Syed Akbaruddin had said that both the countries would act in accordance with the verdict
since they went to the court voluntarily. Once the judgement was out, the Indian official said, We respect the
verdict of the tribunal and are in the process of studying the award and its full implications.
Bangladesh, which said it was satisfied with the decision, applauded India for its approach. Bangladeshi
foreign minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali said in a news conference, We commend India for its
willingness to resolve this matter peacefully by legal means and for its acceptance of the tribunal's
judgment.
When asked about how successful he thinks the country was in its battle, Bangladeshi foreign minister
added, A peaceful resolution to a dispute running for more than 40 years since independence has been
achieved. Which success is larger than that?
The dispute that had been going on for years is believed to have deterred companies from investing in the
sea blocks in region. A statement by the Ministry of External Affairs said, "This paves the way for the
economic development of this part of the Bay of Bengal, which will be beneficial to both countries."
The key issue of the dispute was over location of the land boundary terminus between the two countries and

determination of the course of the maritime boundary in the territorial sea. While India was demanding
determination of the boundary on equidistance method, Bangladesh was pressing for equitable solution.