Bangladesh on Wednesday claimed victory in its vexed maritime dispute with Myanmar at a UN tribunal, giving it crucial rights on outer Continental Shelf in the Bay of Bengal.
“We have achieved more than what we expected,” foreign minister Dipu Moni said, reacting to the verdict given by the International Tribunal for Laws of the Sea (ITLOS) at Humburg in Germany.
She added that Bangladesh demanded 1,07,000 square kilometers in the Bay of Bengal but the ITLOS verdict awarded us with 1,11,000 sq kilometers.
“The biggest point was that, India and Myanmar the countries which are in dispute with Bangladesh, earlier wanted to draw the cut off line at 130 nautical miles but now it will be expanded up to 200 nautical miles…,” Moni said.
She added: “this (verdict) has (also) ensured Bangladesh’s crucial rights on outer Continental Shelf”.
Continental shelf is the extended perimeter of each continent and associated coastal plain. The dispute with India over a similar issue would be settled by 2014, bdnews 24 reported.
Moni said the ITLOS judgement gave the “full effect on St Martine’s Island” in Bangladesh?s favour, meaning Bangladesh would have full territorial and economic rights surrounding the southeastern island up to 200 nautical miles towards the Continental Shelf in an angle of 215 degrees.
