[Dhaka, The Bangladesh Observer in English, 25 Apr 91, pp 1, 8]

The Tin Bigha Corridor will be handed over to Bangladesh in the near future. Foreign Minister A.S.M. Mustafizur Rahman told the Jatiya Sangsad Wednesday, says BSS.

Replying to a question from Salahuddin Yusuf (AL-Khulna), the Minister said the Indian government had assured Bangladesh that it would be handed over in the near future.

He said Bangladesh was to get a permanent lease of the Tin Bigha Corridor under an agreement signed between the two countries in October 1982 to maintain communications between the two enclaves--Angorpota and Dahagram--with the mainland of Bangladesh.

He said later the Indian government informed Bangladesh that the implementation of the agreement was being delayed as several writ petitions had been filed in the Calcutta High Court by the citizens of these areas.

The Foreign Minister said the Supreme Court of India gave a verdict on 5 May 1990 stating that there was no constitutional bar in handing over the corridor to Bangladesh and opined that it should be handed over immediately to further develop bilateral relations.

He said the Indian authorities had taken necessary administrative steps to hand over the corridor. He said the Indian government had assured us that it would be handed over in the near future, the two countries are maintaining contact in this regard, he added.

Replying to another question from Haji Rashed Mosharraf (AL- Jamalpur), the Foreign Minister said Bangladesh and India had a 25-year bilateral agreement called "friendship" cooperation and peace agreement, he said the agreement was signed on 19 March 1972.

Asked whether the present government would terminate the agreement, the Minister said, if you (opposition) want everything can be done.