Bangladesh Bank orders agricultural loans for residents of former enclaves

Bangladesh Bank has told other banks to give agricultural loans to the residents of erstwhile enclaves.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 3 Nov 2015, 06:03 PM
Updated : 3 Nov 2015, 06:03 PM

The central bank in a circular on Tuesday ordered the banks to give the loans to those who had dispute-free arable land.
 
The former enclave dwellers will have to submit land ownership certificates obtained from the Upazila Executive Officer or the sub-registrar while applying for the loans under the Agricultural and Rural Credit Policy and Programme.   
 
Farmers will also be able to take special group loans, according to the circular.
 
After the midnight of Jul 31, India and Bangladesh swapped 162 enclaves, ending one of the world's most intractable border disputes.
 
According to the Land Boundary Agreement between the two neighbours, from Aug 1, some 17,160 acres of Indian land within Bangladesh territory became part of the latter.
 
Similarly, 51 Bangladeshi enclaves scattered over nearly 7,110 acres within India became part of that country.
 
A joint India-Bangladesh census in 2011 found Bangladeshi enclaves had around 14,000 residents while the Indian enclaves had 37,000.