Staff Reporter :The BNP on Thursday congratulated Indian Prime Minister, his government, leaders of different parties and the Indian people for passing the ‘Land Boundary Agreement (LBA)’ bill to allow exchange of enclaves and settlement of adversely possessed land on border of the two countries. BNP’s international affairs secretary Dr Asaduzzaman Ripon, who is the current party spokesman, on behalf of BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia at a press conference at the party’s central office at Nayapaltan in the city congratulated Indian Prime Minister Norendra Modi, former Prime Minsiter Sonia Gandhi, Chief Minister of West Bengal and leader of Trinamool Congress Mamata Banerjee, Chief Ministers of Tripura and Assam, and the Indian people for passing the bill in their Parliament,”The bill has been passed in Indian parliament after 40 years which will put an end to the sufferings of rights-deprived enclave people of the two nations. We congratulate the Indian government for passing the bill in their Parliament,” he said. He hoped that the inhabitants of the two countries, living in isolated enclaves having no rights for so long, would now enjoy their rights following the implementation of the agreement. Dr Ripon, however, claimed that Bangladesh would lose around 500 acres of land due to the agreement. But, he did not elaborate to back his claim. “We still didn’t go through the deal. So, at this moment, we neither welcome nor oppose the agreement. We would come up with elaborate reaction later after going through the agreement” he said.The Indian Lok Sabha, the Lower House of Indian Parliament, on Thursday unanimously passed the much-waited constitutional amendment bill regarding the land boundary agreement with Bangladesh.The Bill was also unanimously passed by India’s upper house – the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. The LBA will come into effect, as soon the Indian President will give assents to it.
