Sangsad Bhaban: The Netherlands based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) is expected to deliver its judgment on the maritime boundary dispute between Bangladesh and India by the middle of next year.

Oral hearing of the case would be held before a five-member PCA Tribunal in December this year and the verdict of the case is expected to come by mid next year, said Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni in Jatiya Sangsad on Monday.

Replying to a question from treasury bench member Sadhana Halder, she expressed the hope that through the verdict Bangladesh would be able to get a map with specific boundary in the Bay like its mainland.

Giving details, Dipu Moni said Dhaka has submitted a 'memorial' on May 2011 and a 'counter memorial' on January 31 this year to the PSA reiterating its demand for an equitable solution to the maritime boundary dispute with India.

In the counter memorial, Bangladesh had submitted required papers to validate its claim to territorial waters, Exclusive Economic Zone up to 200 nautical miles, and continental shelf up to 350NM from the baseline.

Following Bangladesh's submission, the tribunal had fixed July 31, 2013 to submit India's rejoinder on the issue. After India's final submission, the court will start hearing oral arguments from lawyers of the two sides.

Both Bangladesh and India approached the arbitration court in 2009 to resolve the long-standing dispute over the maritime boundary in the oil- and gas-rich Bay of Bengal.

The minister in her reply also said with a map of specific maritime boundary in the Bay, Bangladesh would be able to explore, exploit and manage sea resources in a planned way and it would also facilitate preparation of a workplan to this end.

She said the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has added a modern Maritime Patrol Aircraft along with most sophisticated warships in the Bangladesh Navy fleet to ensure the country's right to its maritime resources in the Bay.

Besides, she said steps have been taken to build skilled human resources to carry out basic research activities on maritime resources. Under these initiatives, the minister said a separate department on "Oceanography" has been launched in the country's premier Dhaka University and Chittagong University.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh won the legal battle with neighbouring Myanmar over the maritime boundary dispute in the Bay of Bengal.

The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on March 14, 2012 sustained Bangladesh's claims to a full 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone in the Bay of Bengal, and to a substantial share of the outer continental shelf beyond 200 miles.

Ends/AMA/10/06/13