AGARTALA, Sep 26 (TIWN): Muhuri Char till day is acting as the only border between India and Bangladesh in the Tripura-Noakhali sector, as the long disputes between both the countries remained without solution evenafter 70th year’s of independence.

Muhurichar, a 140-acre island on the river and important for rice cultivation, now has become a source of tension between the two countries as both laid claim to it and it resulted in skirmishes between the border security agencies.

“South Tripura has now 13 KM unfenced border”, said South Tripura ADM Tamal Majumder on Sunday. Presently ADM Tamal Majumder is mostly taking care of the border fencing issues at Southern Tripura

Tamal Majumder mentioned, “Fencing work is going on. Around 204 KM in whole South Tripura Dist. is yet fenced among which 13 KM, is without fencing”. However asking him about the status of Muhuri Char, he said, “Nothing upgraded in Muhuri Char”.

However, before 2 months South SP confirmed that the total unfenced border is 16 KM, now with 3 KM ugradation it stands 13 KM.

However, the unsolved Muhuri Char issue has become an obstracle in total fencing work of South Tripura Border & increasing tensions of illegal intrusion via South Tripura border.

Earlier Badal Choudhury said that Muhuri Char demarcation must be as per the 1974 Accord along the mid-stream of the course of Muhuri river at the time of demarcation, while Bangladesh insisted on an 1893 map that would result in it gaining an extra 44 acres from India.

However, the frequently changing course of the river prevented the two nations from demarcating the boundary & when Central Govt. again measured the Muhuri Char, then all were set to begin the fencing work, but PWD Minister Badal Choudhury put objection saying that the Manomohon Singh-Sheikh Hasina deal must be followed & Choudhury also asked for re-demarcation.

Belonia is often attacked by robbers, smugglers due to lack of proper security in border areas. But the fencing at Belonia border area has become quite impossible right now with the long dispute over Muhuri Char.

 The tension is increasing between Indo-Bangla border & with that unending disputes of Muhuri Char, Tripura’s a major part is able to easily act as the corridor for miscreants, smugglers, robbers even Jihadi Terrorists.

Many times the border areas have be bring under Red Alert zone as in the 2015 also, for long 3 months Indo-Bangla border area at Belonia under South Tripura has been imposed with section 144.

Tripura shares 856 km borders with Bangladesh and eight major rivers including Muhuri and Dhalai flows from the state to the neighbouring country. But due to the lack of co-operation between State and Central govt., this situation has become very critical and becomig a regular excuse for not progressing the border fencing over there.

Presently South Tripura Dist.’s many parts are undergoing internal clashes among Bangladeshis and Indians, as robbers from the neighbouring country are entering across border.