Teen Bigha Corridor
Encyclopedia
The Tin [or Teen] Bigha Corridor is a strip of land belonging to India
on the West Bengal
–Bangladesh
border, which in September, 2011, was leased to Bangladesh so that it can access its Dahagram–Angarpota enclaves.
and Bangladesh
were to hand over the sovereignty of the Tin Bigha Corridor (178 x 85 sq m) and South Berubari (7.39 sq km) to each other, thereby allowing access to the Dahagram–Angarpota enclaves and the Indian enclaves adjacent to South Berubari. Bangladesh did hand over the sovereignty of the larger South Berubari to India instantly in 1974. India, however, refused to transfer the much smaller Tin Bigha Corridor to Bangladesh
.
After much Bangladesh
government protest, India
, instead of handing over sovereignty in 2011, proposed to lease the Tin Bigha Corridor to Bangladesh
for a certain time. South Berubari, meanwhile, would remain in the possession of India
.
, and bigha
is a unit of area ranging from 1,500 to 6,771 sq m.
Following a treaty signed by the Prime Ministers of India
and Bangladesh
on September 6, 2011 in Dhaka
, it was agreed that the corridor would be open for 24 hours for Bangladeshi
s in the enclave to access the mainland.
The corridor was officially declared open by the Bangladesh Premier
Sheikh Hasina
on October 19, 2011.
Sheikh Hasina
inaugurated a ten-bed Dahagram Hospital and the Dahagram Union Parishad Complex on October 19th.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
on the West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
–Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
border, which in September, 2011, was leased to Bangladesh so that it can access its Dahagram–Angarpota enclaves.
Facts
According to the Indira Gandhi-Sheikh Mujibur Rahman treaty of 1974, IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
were to hand over the sovereignty of the Tin Bigha Corridor (178 x 85 sq m) and South Berubari (7.39 sq km) to each other, thereby allowing access to the Dahagram–Angarpota enclaves and the Indian enclaves adjacent to South Berubari. Bangladesh did hand over the sovereignty of the larger South Berubari to India instantly in 1974. India, however, refused to transfer the much smaller Tin Bigha Corridor to Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
.
After much Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
government protest, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, instead of handing over sovereignty in 2011, proposed to lease the Tin Bigha Corridor to Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
for a certain time. South Berubari, meanwhile, would remain in the possession of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Etymology
Teen is the word for the numeral "three" in BengaliBengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
, and bigha
Bigha
The bigha is a unit of measurement of area of a land, commonly used in Nepal, Bangladesh and in a few states of India including Uttaranchal, Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Gujarat, Rajasthan etc. The precise size of a bigha appears to vary considerably...
is a unit of area ranging from 1,500 to 6,771 sq m.
Access to corridor
The corridor was previously open for 12 daylight hours only, causing great hardships for the inhabitants of the enclave, given the fact that the enclave has no hospitals or law enforcement facilities.Following a treaty signed by the Prime Ministers of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
on September 6, 2011 in Dhaka
Dhaka
Dhaka is the capital of Bangladesh and the principal city of Dhaka Division. Dhaka is a megacity and one of the major cities of South Asia. Located on the banks of the Buriganga River, Dhaka, along with its metropolitan area, had a population of over 15 million in 2010, making it the largest city...
, it was agreed that the corridor would be open for 24 hours for Bangladeshi
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
s in the enclave to access the mainland.
The corridor was officially declared open by the Bangladesh Premier
Prime Minister of Bangladesh
The Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh is the Head of the Government of Bangladesh. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Jatiya Sangsad Parliament, to their political party and ultimately to the electorate...
Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina is a Bangladeshi politician and current Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She has been the President of the Awami League, a major political party, since 1981. She is the eldest of five children of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh and widow of a reputed nuclear...
on October 19, 2011.
Infrastructure
Until recently, the enclaves had no hospitals or colleges. Bangladesh PremierPrime Minister of Bangladesh
The Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh is the Head of the Government of Bangladesh. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Jatiya Sangsad Parliament, to their political party and ultimately to the electorate...
Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina
Sheikh Hasina is a Bangladeshi politician and current Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She has been the President of the Awami League, a major political party, since 1981. She is the eldest of five children of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh and widow of a reputed nuclear...
inaugurated a ten-bed Dahagram Hospital and the Dahagram Union Parishad Complex on October 19th.