Land ownership dispute arises on India-Bangladesh border

Jalpaiguri: A growing dispute over land ownership has emerged along the India-Bangladesh international border in the South Berubari area of Jalpaiguri, with conflicting land ownership records of the two countries. The issue, which concerns the Daikhata village area, came to light during a land survey for the construction of border roads and fences.

Daikhata, located 46 km from Jalpaiguri town, lies on both sides (banks) of the Sui River, which forms the natural border between India and Bangladesh. On the Indian side, Sawtal Para occupies 20 acres of land, while the Bangladesh village of Dashkhola, or Chapramari, is situated across the river on 13 acres. Both countries have shared this land for years, with residents grazing cattle and engaging in small-scale farming, including tea cultivation.

In 2015, as part of an enclave exchange between India and Bangladesh, the land holdings were swapped: India received 13 acres, while Bangladesh took possession of the 20 acres. Despite the land transfer, there was no formal settlement or dispute for several years. However, recent border infrastructure work has uncovered discrepancies in land records.

The Border Security Force (BSF) and the Land department are conducting surveys for the construction of border roads and the installation of temporary border pillars. During this process, it was revealed that neither India nor Bangladesh had clear documentation for the land on either side of the Sui River. Temporary barbed wire fences and pillars have been placed to demarcate the international boundary.

Sardaprasad Das, president of the South Berubari Nagarik Pratiraksha Committee, commented: “While India possessed the 20 acres of land near Sawtal Para, both countries used the 13-acre area for grazing. However, during the recent survey, no records for either land parcel were found.”

Anno Kanta Das, deputy head of South Berubari Gram Panchayat, expressed concerns about the lack of land documents, stating: “Though there are plans to build border roads and fences, the absence of proper documentation raises doubts about how this will proceed. We’ve urged the land department to properly register the 13 acres in India’s name for better utilisation, which could benefit district development.”

Sudipta Sarkar, assistant surveyor at the India-Bangladesh Land Survey Office,

confirmed that work on installing border pillars and constructing roads is progressing in the four villages of South Berubari. “While temporary pillars are being installed, the issue of land records is being jointly reviewed by both countries’ land survey offices,” Sarkar added.