In a statement, the High Commission said an impression is being created in Bangladesh that India's non-ratification of the Indira-Mujib accord is holding back its implementation. But the fact is that legislative requirements in India necessitate that the process of boundary demarcation be completed before ratification by the Indian Parliament, it added.

India's ratification of the Accord has so far not taken place because the process of boundary demarcation remains incomplete due to non-agreement on 6.5kms of boundary, it said. In the case of Bangladesh, while it is a fact that the LBA was ratified soon after signature in 1974, it is pertinent to note that this ratification can come into effect only after demarcation of boundary has been actually completed. Therefore, de facto, India and Bangladesh are in the same position, it added.

India's consistent position has been to resolve at the earliest the outstanding elements in the Indira-Mujib accord pertaining to boundary demarcation, exchange of enclaves and adverse possessions, the statement said. It is with this objective that government of India had conveyed to the government of Bangladesh a "composite package proposal" on these issues during the last meeting of the Joint Boundary Working Group (JBWG) in March, 2002. Even after a passage of four years, we are still awaiting a response from Bangladesh to these proposals, it added.

On the issue of exchange of enclaves and adverse possessions, India has pointed out that a joint survey needs to be carried out, the statement said. The government of India has written to the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry in June 2005, conveying details of the logistics required to complete such a joint survey. Once again, there has been no response from the government of Bangladesh till date, it added.