Bangladesh to claim 400 nautical miles in Bay of Bengal
By DPA, IANSSunday, January 9, 2011
DHAKA - Bangladesh will fight to establish its claim to 400 nautical miles of territorial waters in the Bay of Bengal disputed by neighbouring India and Myanmar, officials said Sunday.
“We will submit our claim to the UN over our maritime boundary in the Bay of Bengal sometime next month,” Foreign Minister Dipu Moni told reporters after finalising Bangladesh’s document for its claim over the disputed waters.
Sandwiched between India and Myanmar in the upper reaches of the Bay, which is believed to have potential for hydrocarbon exploration, Bangladesh has already staked its claim with other international legal agencies.
New Delhi and Yangon already submitted their claims to the UN last year.
Bangladesh is arguing its claim based on its population, economic status and needs, while India and Myanmar are relying on arguments based on geometric calculations. Bangladeshi officials are resting their hopes on the fact that many other countries prefer its approach.
The maritime dispute has, at times, led to the nations’ navies conducting sometime provocative warship manoeuvres in the contested area. There have also been flare-ups between Myanmar and Bangladesh over access to the region for oil and gas exploration.
But all sides have now put their claims on hold pending UN action.
