AGARTALA, June 24 (TIWN): Indo-Bangla Border fencing has become a marathon project with no solution in sight due to border demarcation issues between both countries. Just like Feni river project, Indo-Bangla rail line, the border demarcation has remained as the long unsolved issue due to apathy of State and Central Govt. South Tripura’s border fencing with Bangladesh yet to get completed even though project was supposed to complete back in 2015. State PWD Minister Badal Choudhury while talking to TIWN on Thursday said, "Muhuri Char issue still remains unsolved as Central Govt. said nothing yet about the re-demarcation work as earlier demarcation was faulty (Bangladesh got lions portion of land). Finishing re-demarcation work is a task which India and Bangladesh Govt should complete in a given time frame.

Without proper  re-demarcation we can’t progress the Border fencing work”, said Choudhury.

 It was in 2015, month of May that Rajya Sabha approved amendments to the land boundary agreement bill to correct an error in the name of the act. 

An error was held in the era of UPA Govt. (2013) which was cross checked in 2015 by sending central Ministry officials to state Tripura and after verification the error was in the numbering of the bill as "119th" amendment in the title, while it had become "100th" amendment when it was passed. 

However after the bill was passed it was agreed that Bangladesh has reclaimed 110 acres of land from India, 40 years after the Mujib-Indira Land Boundary Agreement was signed in 1974. 50 year-old dispute over Muhurichar issue seemed to over as  per the agreement, a part of Muhurichar would go to Bangladesh while another portion would remain with India. Though cremation ground for Hindus, burial ground for Muslims and Nath community of Muhurichar would remain on the Indian side and no one will be evicted from Muhurichar.

It’s was assumed that now Border Fencing works will continue at full pace but now its stuck in halt.

But PWD Minister had objected against it and people from major part of the Southern sub-divisions started to demand that 'Muhuri Char' should remain with India, which was an logical demand.

However, Tripura Govt. never cooperated with Central govt. to finish the fencing work soon, resulting massive violence across the Belonia,Sabroom border areas.

Illegal intrusion and border smuggling are so much frequent due to the Indo-Bangla unfenced border, the border fencing work has been  almost stopped due to lack of co-ordination between Centre and State.

PWD Minister playing too much with Muhuri Char sentiments as Badal Choudhury’s hometown is Belonia. But Minister might have forgotten the fact that the safety of border are people is much more necessary than his personal sentiments. Also Badal Chaowdhury kept mum till Modi-Hasina signed historical LBA agreement.

When central Govt. took initiatives to fence Tripura’s border,  Badal Choudhury created much problems in central govt.’s fencing project and claimed that the land demarcation which was done by central govt team, was wrong.

Not only in South District but Tripura’s porous border with Bangladesh and  illegal intrusions of Bangladeshis and smugglers hampering law& order along Indo-Bangla border.