Sept 03, 2014: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today assured the Jatiya Sangsad of taking all initiatives for protecting and optimum use of the sea resources for country’s economic progress.
The Prime Minister said this in reply to a question from treasury bench member Fazilatun Nesa Bappi in the House today.
Sheikh Hasina said the historic victories on maritime boundary were possible because of taking all possible steps by our government. So we are taking a strategic plan for extracting fish resources and exploring oil-gas and mineral resources from vast sea areas side by side with protecting the territory.
“We hope that we will be able to use all sea resources for welfare of the people,” she said.
The Prime Minister said Bangladesh could establish its sovereignty over 1,18,813 square kilometers exclusive economic zone and 354 nautical miles area from Chittagong coast in the Bay of Bengal with settlement of maritime boundary disputes.
She said before the verdicts of the international tribunal Bangladesh had no specific sea area, for which overall activities of searching and exploration of natural resources in the Bay of Bengal and fishing in the deep sea were hampered.
In absence of demarcation of the sea areas, India and Myanmar
claimed 27 gas blocks of their own in the bay out of total 28 blocks. Our fishermen were obstructed by neighbouring countries.
With the victory of maritime boundary, the Prime Minister said the Bay of Bengal and its resources start playing an immense role in the livelihood of the people of Bangladesh and building a prosperous country.