Ex-enclave enters 12th year with demand for separate union

PHULBARI, KURIGRAM, Aug 6: Eleven years after the historic exchange of India and Bangladesh enclaves ended decades of statelessness, residents of Dasiar Chhara, the largest former enclave in Bangladesh�"say their next priority is official recognition as a separate union.

July 31 marks the beginning of the 12th year since the implementation of the landmark Land Boundary Agreement, under which 111 Indian enclaves inside Bangladesh and 51 Bangladeshi enclaves inside India were exchanged at midnight on July 31, 2015, ending 68 years of uncertainty for thousands of enclave residents.

Over the past decade, Dasiar Chhara in Kurigram's Phulbari Upazila has witnessed significant improvements in infrastructure and public services.

Residents now have access to education, electricity, healthcare, roads, land registration services, agricultural support and social safety net programmes. The recent inclusion of four local educational institutions in the government's Monthly Pay Order (MPO) system has also strengthened educational opportunities in the area.

Many residents have also secured jobs in government and private sectors, contributing to an improved standard of living.
Dasiar Chhara, covering 1,643.44 acres, was the largest of the 111 Indian enclaves transferred to Bangladesh. Around 6,529 residents became Bangladeshi citizens following the exchange.

Before the agreement, enclave residents had little access to basic public services. Many students concealed their identities to enrol in schools outside the enclave, while obtaining birth registration and other civic documents was often difficult.

Nur Islam, Head-teacher of Dasiar Chhara Samannaypara High School, said conditions had changed significantly.

"Our school has recently been brought under MPO. We now have around 250 students, including 50 to 60 from neighbouring unions. Before the enclave exchange, students often had to hide their identities to enrol in schools outside the enclave. That is no longer necessary," he said.

Akbar Ali, a fertiliser and seed dealer from Khariyatari Village, said he had become an authorised dealer of the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) after the enclave exchange.

"Farmers can now easily collect fertiliser and seeds from here instead of travelling elsewhere," he said.

Despite the progress, residents say one long-standing demand remains unmet.

Ashma Begum and Layef Ali, residents of Balatari and Julatari villages, said they wanted Dasiar Chhara to be declared a separate union.

"We have received many benefits over the years, but we still do not have our own union. We hope the present government will fulfil this demand," they said.

Golam Mostafa, General Secretary of the Bangladesh chapter of the Bangladesh-India Enclave Exchange Coordination Committee, said the demand reflected the aspirations of local residents.

"Dasiar Chhara has seen remarkable development over the past decade. Declaring it a separate union would enable around 14,000 to 15,000 people to access government services more efficiently and further improve their quality of life," he said.

As former enclave residents commemorate another milestone in their journey from statelessness to citizenship, many say the creation of a separate union now represents the final step in securing full administrative integration.