During the British withdrawal from the Indian subcontinent, Sir Cyril Radcliffe, who chaired the boundary commission, was responsible for demarcating the borders between India and Pakistan during the 1947 partition. However, he did not address the maritime boundaries, particularly in the Bay of Bengal, which later became a point of dispute between India and Pakistan.
After 1947, the government of Pakistan did not take significant steps to resolve the issue. However, after the independence of Bangladesh in 1971, the newly formed government of Bangladesh passed an act in 1974 in the Parliament aimed at addressing these maritime disputes.
After the death of Bangabandhu in 1975, no Bangladeshi government made any significant efforts to address the maritime disputes. During this period, India began to claim ownership of the “Talpotti” area, and in 1978, they established a naval base there. At the same time, both India and Myanmar started to assert control over maritime areas that Bangladesh considered its own, openly refusing to recognize these territories as belonging to Bangladesh.
On the other hand, Myanmar began drilling in Bangladesh’s maritime territory in 2007. In response, Bangladesh’s naval forces, equipped with frigates purchased by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during her first term (1996-2001) from South Korea, quickly intervened. While this move faced criticism, one of my closest naval officers later claimed that without these frigates, it would have been impossible to secure Bangladesh’s sea territory until the United Nations issued its verdict on the disputed maritime boundary in 2010.
When Sheikh Hasina first came to power in 1996, she started discussions to resolve the issue through talks with Myanmar and India. During this time, she also made Bangladesh a full member of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in July 2001. However, progress stalled until she returned to power. Upon her return, she made the issue a priority, and on October 9, 2009, Bangladesh filed its first maritime case with the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).
As a result, Bangladesh was awarded 19,467 square kilometers of the total 25,602 square kilometers of disputed sea area (76%), with 6,135 square kilometers going to India (24%). Additionally, the ITLOS ruling allocated about 111,631 square kilometers to Bangladesh, including a significant portion of the extended continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles, in a decision against Myanmar and India.
Over the past 50 years of Bangladesh’s history, and the 23 years of Pakistan’s rule, many governments came to power but failed to take action to resolve these critical maritime issues. Only a leader like Sheikh Hasina, who has a deep love for her nation and a clear vision, was able to act decisively. For this reason, we should respect Sheikh Hasina as the “Mother of the Sea” of Bangladesh, based on her dedication for the nation.
