Trinamool ‘softens’ its position

Dhaka and New Delhi are expecting a positive development towards ratification of the land boundary agreement (LBA), as Trinamool Congress has indicated its willingness to allow the introduction of a constitution amendment bill in Indian parliament.Both the sides were encouraged by recent signals from Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool, which had opposed the agreement and, along with Asom Gana Parishad and Bharatiya Janata Party, resisted placing the bill in the last session of Rajya Sabha, said diplomatic sources.Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s fresh commitment to his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina, when they met in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Saturday, has brightened the prospect of ratification of the 1974 agreement.Ratification of the LBA requires a constitutional amendment through approval of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha.Foreign ministry sources said the Indian premier had pledged his government’s intent to bring the bilateral pact to parliament this December, as his government anticipated no opposition to placing the bill in the winter session of the House.A three-member Trinamool team had recently told Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid that though the party retained its concerns over the land pact, it would not block the bill’s introduction, foreign ministry officials quoted Indian sources as saying.The United Progressive Alliance government has assured Dhaka that it is also negotiating with BJP and Asom Gana Parishad, an opposition party in Congress-ruled Assam, so that they refrain from opposing placement of the bill.The LBA envisages a transfer of 111 Indian enclaves with a total area of 17,160.63 acres and a population of 37,334 to Bangladesh, while Dhaka will transfer 51 enclaves with an area of 7,110.02 acres and a population of 14,215 to India.