DHAKA, 19 September 2021, (TON): In a letter to the UN secretary-general, Dhaka made it clear that maritime boundary with India was determined by the Permanent Court of Attribution in its verdict on July 7, 2014.

Bangladesh has objected to Indian claims on the continental shelf of the Bay of Bengal, completely disregarding the assertion made by New Delhi.

In a letter to the United Nations secretary-general on September 13, Bangladesh made it clear that the maritime boundary with India was determined by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in its verdict on July 7, 2014.

In April, India made some claims with the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) on Bangladesh’s assertion on the continental shelf. New Delhi said that some of the areas claimed by Bangladesh belonged to India.

At that time, Bangladesh objected to the Indian claims, saying that there was no legal basis on the assertion made by India.

Reminding that the boundary was determined by the verdict on July 7, 2014, the letter to the UN chief said, “The Government of the Republic of India published gazette notifications (Ministry of External affairs Notification, New Delhi, G.S.R. 334(E) dated 23rd March 2016 & GSR 381 (E) dated 29 Mar 2016, respectively) reflecting the Award of the arbitral tribunal related to the single maritime boundary line between Bangladesh and India, including the intersection point of the two maritime boundary lines at precisely the same coordinates as identified by Bangladesh in its amended submission.”

“There is therefore no dispute between Bangladesh and India as to the limits of Bangladesh’s entitlement to the continental shelf beyond 200 M in the Bay of Bengal.”

The letter said that the Commission (CLCS) has no role to play in the determination of the extent of the so-called “Grey area” where the Exclusive Economic Zone of India overlaps with the continental shelf beyond 200 M of Bangladesh. The Commission’s role is limited to determining that Bangladesh has an entitlement in the continental shelf beyond 200 M and the limit(s) of that entitlement.