After discussion with officials of BSF and Indian authorities, the Malda district administration Sunday adopted a resolution to conduct a joint survey with the officials of Bangladesh's Chapai-nawabganj district to settle the present territorial dispute between the two countries that led to a gun battle a few weeks ago, reports UNB. Malda District Magistrate Abhijit Chaudhuri said, "We will inform the (West Bengal) state government about the present border situation and the cause of the territorial dispute." Statesman News Service further quoted Chauduri as saying, "We will seek permission both from the state government and the Centre to go to Bangladesh to apprise the district magistrate of Chapainawabganj in Bangladesh of the current border situation." "We will have to see the situation and location of Gillabari border on the Bangladesh side," Chauduri added. Dipankar Roy, deputy director and joint secretary of home department, OP Gaur, the deputy inspector general, BSF Malda sector, the Malda SP, Mr Dipak Monda, and other officials were present at the meeting which was held at Narayanpur sector office of the BSF. It was also decided that the Indian officials would approach their Bangladesh counterparts to find the referral pillars from pillar no. 160 to 166 along the Mahananda river between Adampur and Muchia border outposts in Malda district. The Indian officials have reiterated that following the change in the course of the river, many lands have come up on Bangladesh side, particularly in the Gillabari BDR outpost area where many pillars have disappeared. An official said that though it was decided at the last meeting held in 2002 that Bangladesh would demarcate the border by erecting pillars in the stretch, no initiative has been taken so far to erect the pillars after the decision and five Indo-Bangladesh meetings. The Indian officials claimed the border is fixed and there is no question to treat it as flexible according to the treaty signed in 1975, the Statesman News Service added.
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