Tripura govt to take up with Centre over Bangladesh's unilateral embankment construction

Guwahati: Tripura government will take up with the Centre the issue of the embankment, being constructed unilaterally by the Bangladesh government on its land.

According to the state government, it might endanger the state's Unakoti district town Kailashahar and border villages during monsoon.

An official team led by Unakoti district’s District Magistrate Dilip Kumar Chakma visited the bordering areas on Friday and later said that he would submit a report to the state government on the issue so that the state government could take up the matter with the Central government for appropriate steps.


A senior official said the state government would take up the issue with the Centre and discuss with the Bangladesh government to stop the construction of the embankment along the Manu River, which divides the two countries.

The official said, “Bangladesh government without any discussion with the Indian authorities is trying to build the 10 km long concrete embankment just along the zero line to protect their areas from flood waters.

Bangladesh has already constructed around 3 km embankment and work is going on to construct the remaining portion, the official said, adding that after the construction of the embankment with huge height the Unakoti district town Kailashahar and many border villages would be badly affected during monsoon due to recurring flood.

“As per the Indira-Mujib pact, signed on March 19, 1972, and according to the 1975 Joint India-Bangladesh guidelines for border authorities, no structure unilaterally can be constructed within 150 yards from the zero line of the international boundary by either side,” the official said.

Congress legislator from Kailashahar Birajit Sinha, also a former minister, raised the embankment issue in the just concluded winter session of the Tripura Assembly and urged the state government to take up the matter with the Centre.

Chief Minister Manik Saha had told the house that he would take up the matter with the Centre.