By Engr Mamun Islam
RANGPUR, Jan 3, 2021 (BSS) – Some 45,000 people living in 111 erstwhile enclaves are tackling the COVID-19 pandemic situation with massive government support and continuing income generating, agricultural and other activities normally.
Former enclave people said local administrations distributed huge relief goods like rice, potato, pulse, salt, edible oils, soaps, sanitisers, masks and other goods among them since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Residents of all former enclaves received relief materials three to five times since April last year to tackle the situation initially,” General Secretary of defunct India-Bangladesh Enclave Exchange Coordination Committee Md. Golam Mostafa told BSS today.
At the same time, sincere efforts of the government and development works are continuing to improve the living standard of erstwhile enclave people even during the COVID-19 pandemic situation.
“Everything started changing in former enclaves since implementation of the historic Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) as per Mujib-Indira Accord of 1974 with exchanging 162 erstwhile enclaves between Bangladesh and India on August 1, 2015,” he said.
Though the population of 111 erstwhile enclaves was 37,000 on the date of exchange, the same has increased to around 45,000 as many people who left their birth places in former enclaves returned observing rapid developments and growing facilities there.
“With only one year since exchange of enclaves, the government as per direction of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina implemented massive infrastructural developments spending Taka 200 crore to mainstream erstwhile enclave people,” Mostafa said.
All families living in 111 former enclaves inside Bangladesh, including 12 in Kurigram, 59 in Lalmonirhat, four in Nilphamari and 36 in Panchagarh, got electricity, hygienic sanitation and pure drinking water facilities to lead normal life now.
“The government provided training and loans to youths for income generations and conducted massive social safety-net programmes among former enclave people giving stronger footage that helped them in overcoming the COVID-19 situation,” he said.
Superintending Engineer of Bangladesh Rural Electrification Board at its Rangpur Zonal Office Engineer AB Mahmud Hossain said electricity was provided to every house in all 111 former enclaves within only one year since exchange of the enclaves.
“Former enclave people are effectively tackling the COVID-19 crisis as their socio-economic conditions have improved following the setting up of power-run small scale cottage industries, factories and enterprises creating huge jobs,” he added.
Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension at its Rangpur regional office Agriculturist Md. Moniruzzaman said a revolutionary change has taken place in the agriculture sector in former enclaves in only five years.
“Former enclave people are producing three crops annually on the same lands adopting latest technologies to achieve the speedy growth of their agri-based economy that also helped them in coping with the COVID-19 situation,” he added.
Among 111 erstwhile enclaves in Bangladesh, the biggest one Dashiarchhara is situated under Phulbari upazila in Kurigram with about seven square kilometres in area and inhabited by around 8,000 people now.
Ali Haider and Abdul Hamid of Kalirhat Moholla in Dashiarchhara said all erstwhile enclave people are leading almost normal life even during the COVID-19 pandemic situation following massive developments and continuous government support.
Housewives Momena Khatun and Mahfuza Begum of Dashiarchhara said they are conducting agricultural and other income generation activities during the COVID-19 pandemic to lead normal life and thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for continuous support.
Superintendent of Kalirhat Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Dakhil Madrasha in Dashiarchhara Aminul Islam thanked the government for continuous assistance to former enclave people and giving stronger footage to local economy in tackling the pandemic situation.
Former Chairman of erstwhile Garati enclave in Panchagarh Mofizar Rahman said people of all former 36 enclaves in Panchagarh got massive government support since April last year and are now leading almost normal life despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
Divisional Commissioner Abdul Wahhab Bhuiyan said the government is committed to ensure normal life of all people, including those who are living in former enclaves, during the COVID-19 situation in Rangpur division.