Figure 19 Land ports Authorities: India- Bangladesh Border

Figure 19 Land ports Authorities: India- Bangladesh Border

Disputes arose shortly after the Radcliffe award regarding the award's interpretation and implementation. These concerned the boundaries between Rajsahi and Murshidabad, Daulatpur and Karimpur, the Patharia Hill Reserve Forest, and the Kusiyara River's course. The Indo-Pakistan Boundary Disputes Tribunal, chaired by Algor Bagge, was established in December 1949 to adjudicate and settle these disputes. The Tribunal decided that the land boundary between Rajsahi and Murshidabad should be the district boundary, and the river boundary should be the mid-stream of the main channel of the Ganges as it was during the Radcliffe award.

Despite this, the enclaves and adverse possessions have not been exchanged after so many years. There are currently 111 Indian enclaves in Bangladesh and 51 Bangladeshi enclaves in India. Because India does not have access to these enclaves in Bangladesh, no administrative structure can be established to provide facilities such as police stations, courts, schools, roads, hospitals, banks, markets, and so on to their residents. Residents of these Indian enclaves are also excluded from periodic census surveys and elections. In terms of adverse possessions, India has adverse possession of 38 patches of Indian land totaling 2953.72 acres and 4.5 bighas, while Bangladesh has adverse possession of 50 patches of Bangladeshi land totaling 3340.5 acres. The Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) of 1974 between India and Bangladesh commits both countries to exchanging enclaves and ceding adverse possessions. The case of illegal border crossing is a significant consequence of a porous border. Since India's independence, there has been an increase in illegal migration from Bangladesh. Political upheavals, religious persecution, demographic pressures, and environmental crises, as well as "pull" factors such as land availability, employment opportunities, medical care, and education, have all contributed to the large-scale influx of Bangladeshis into India.