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The crucial land boundary issue involves exchange of land

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Press Trust of India
involving 111 Indian enclaves in Bangladesh and 51 Bangladeshi enclaves in India. The issue has been hanging fire for several years as additional protocols for the 1974 Land Boundary Agreement had to be formalised. The protocols were signed during the 2011 visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Dhaka. The Indian Cabinet has already approved a draft legislation to amend the Constitution to give effect to the agreement, which Khurshid earlier said would be tabled in the upcoming Budget Session of Parliament for adoption. "We have initiated steps to enhance regional connectivity with our neighbouring nations. While Dhaka-Kolkata and Dhaka-Agartala bus services are already on, talks are going on to start Dhaka-Shillong, Dhaka-Guwahati and Dhaka-Kathmandu services," she said. Observing that such services would go a long way to enhance international cooperation and expanding business and trade with neighbouring countries, Prime Minister Hasina said her government was getting "all cooperation" from India now. Khurshid said India had extended to Bangladesh the largest credit line of USD one billion ever given by India to any country. Pranab Mukherjee, as the former Finance Minister, had also extended USD 200 million grant. He said the Indian government would continue to support Bangladesh's development and take all measures to further strengthen cooperation and friendly relations with it. Along with the 50 articulated buses, 88 air-conditioned ones would also be supplied by India to Bangladesh and the entire project would be over by April this year. "It has given me immense satisfaction to see some of these buses plying on Dhaka roads... It is a symbolic iteration of Bangladesh's wheels churning towards progress," Khurshid said.

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First Published: Feb 17 2013 | 1:45 PM IST

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