Any victory is a joy. The joy of such a victory has come many times in the history of Bangladesh. Associated with it was another exceptional victory, the victory of the sea. Since 1974, there have been disputes with neighboring India and Myanmar over maritime boundaries. Which came to a successful end with the desired victory of Bangladesh.
*Sea and Bangladesh:
The relatively small part of the saline water of the ocean is called sea or ocean. Usually part of the sea is bounded by special terrain. The Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea are examples of one of the most significant seas in the world. To the south of Bangladesh is also the vast Bay of Bengal. Which is connected by the territory of Bangladesh, India and Myanmar. And so neighboring India and Myanmar have long been at loggerheads with Bangladesh over their demarcation of the Bay of Bengal. But now a smooth settlement has been reached with India and Myanmar. At the same time, Bangladesh's right over the sea has also been established.
*Bangladesh-Myanmar claim on maritime boundaries:
The main reason for the dispute between Bangladesh and Myanmar was over the method of delimitation of maritime boundaries. Myanmar's claim was that the sea would be determined by equal distances. In this context, Bangladesh will have the right to the sea area up to 130 nautical miles. For this, Bangladesh will not get economic sea area. Besides, they will not have any part in the continental shelf. On the other hand, the state's own sea area will be 6 nautical miles. On the other hand, Bangladesh demanded that the maritime boundaries be determined on the basis of fairness. For this, just as there will be economic areas under Bangladesh, there will also be rights in the economic zones of the sea. Besides, the state's own sea area will be 12 nautical miles.
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Seas (ITLOS) in Germany has announced a landmark ruling in resolving maritime disputes between Bangladesh and Myanmar. With this ruling, Bangladesh established significant rights in the special economic zone up to 200 nautical miles from its coast to the Bay of Bengal. Apart from this, it is also able to gain control over marine resources beyond the continental shelf. Earlier, the government of Bangladesh sought refuge in the International Court of Justice in 2009 to resolve the long-pending issue. In 2010, when Bangladesh presented all the evidence in its favor, Myanmar submitted all the documents in its favor. In this context, the tribunal heard the statements of both the parties in 2011 and pronounced the verdict in favor of Bangladesh on 14 March 2012.
*Resources of Bangladesh:
The length of coastline of Bangladesh is 611 km and that of neighboring Myanmar is 56 km. According to this calculation, Bangladesh got 1,11,631 sq km and Myanmar got 1,81,632 sq km in the verdict of Itals. Besides, Bangladesh also got ownership of 16 out of 26 blocks located in the sea. This area of ​​the ocean is known to be rich in oil and gas. The abundance of fishery resources in the deep sea water, as well as the bottom of the sea, has a lot of mineral resources. It is said that mineral resources like copper, magnesium, nickel and cobalt are stored in the sea floor.
*Judgment against India and Bangladesh's achievement:
After resolving the maritime dispute with Myanmar, the world saw Bangladesh's victory again on July 7, 2014. This time the opponent is India. Bangladesh has gained a permanent sea boundary with an area of ​​1,17,613 sq km, ending a long 40-year dispute over maritime boundaries in the Bay of Bengal. The permanent arbitral tribunal in Germany ruled in favor of Bangladesh. Through this verdict, Bangladesh has been able to establish its full rights and sovereignty over a vast area. According to the verdict, out of the disputed 25,602 sq km, Bangladesh got 19.46 sq km. As a result, most of the gas blocks are now in Bangladesh. Bangladesh has got all the 10 gas blocks claimed by India, but India has got ownership of the much talked about South Talpatti Island.
*Things to do to protect the resources:
Bangladesh has gained huge resources in the sea by conquering the sea. Bangladesh needs to do something to protect those resources,
★such as-
1. Skilled Manpower: There is no substitute for skilled manpower in extracting any resources. So we also need to build skilled manpower to extract the resources of the sea. The Department of Oceanography has already been set up at Marine University in Barisal and Chittagong and Dhaka Universities to build skilled manpower. However, this department should be introduced in other universities as well.
2. Survey Ships: There is no state-of-the-art survey ship in Bangladesh. Which is why foreign ships leave pollutants in our seas and cause serious environmental pollution. And as a result, Bangladesh is being deprived of its important fisheries. So it has become urgent to collect modern survey ships.
3. Navy and Coast Guard: Many foreign fishing ships come to our designated areas to catch fish. To control this, it is necessary to increase the number of Navy and Coast Guard.
4. Increasing relations with Myanmar: It cannot be said that Bangladesh's relations with Myanmar are very good. But Myanmar is very important in our national interest. So now we have to take initiative to increase the relationship. With the development of trade and communication system, on the one hand, good relations will be established with them and on the other hand, our economy will be strengthened.
The 36-year-old dispute over the rights to the Bay of Bengal came to an end with a historic judgment by Italos. As a result of this verdict, Myanmar was not deprived of its rights. Again Bangladesh has got its fair share. In short, it is a beautiful solution to the unresolved issue between the two countries.
