News Digest

India, Bangladesh sign historic land boundary agreement

India and Bangladesh signed an agreement on Saturday to simplify their 4,000-km border and clarify the identities of 52,000 people living in enclaves, over four decades after the neighbors first tried to untangle complex territorial rights set down in 1713. Under the deal, signed in Dhaka in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina, the two countries will swap some 200 tiny enclaves dotted around the border. Their inhabitants have been deprived of public services and are living in squalid conditions.

We have shown political consolidation and goodwill with the signing of this deal.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Under the pact, each country will take over most of the enclaves on its territory and residents will have the right to stay where they are or move to the other side of the border. A string of trade and investment agreements accompanied the land deal, with $4.5 billion of investments in power and a $2 billion credit facility for Bangladesh unveiled on Saturday. The two countries are looking to boost trade and security along the border and to fight human trafficking.

I salute all the citizens of India for supporting this bill in parliament.

Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina