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Bangladesh has 12 nautical miles of maritime boundary and
200 nautical miles of exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Unfortunately, Bangladesh till date is not in a position
to use its claimed EEZ as it has not fulfilled the
provisions spelt out in the UN maritime charter.
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Maritime claims of
Bangladesh |
|
Maritime claims (contiguous
zone): |
18 NM |
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Maritime claims (continental
shelf): |
up to the outer limits of the
continental margin |
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Maritime claims (exclusive
economic zone): |
200 NM |
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Maritime claims (territorial
sea): |
12 NM |
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Definition |
Maritime Boundary of Bangladesh
For Large View
SUMMARY
OF CLAIMS:
BANGLADESH
|
TYPE |
DATE |
SOURCE |
LIMITS |
NOTES |
|
TERRITORIAL SEA |
1878 |
U.K. Territorial Waters Jurisdiction Act |
3nm |
U.K. colonial legislation. |
|
|
Apr 74 |
Territorial Waters & Maritime Zones Act No. 26 &
Proclamation No. LT-I/3/74 |
12nm |
Foreign warships must obtain permission prior to
transiting territorial sea.
This requirement is not recognized by the U.S. U.S.
protested requirement in 1982. |
|
ARCHIPELAGIC, STRAIGHT BASELINES, & HISTORIC CLAIMS |
Apr 74 |
Territorial Waters & Maritime Zones Act No. 26
|
|
Enabling legislation for straight baselines. |
| |
Apr 74 |
Proclamation No. LT-I/3/74 |
|
Established eight baseline points on 10-fathom
contour.
This straight baseline claim is not recognized by
the U.S. U.S. protested claim in 1978. Operational
assertions made in 1995, 1996, 1998, and 2000. |
| |
|
|
|
|
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CONTIGUOUS ZONE |
Apr 74 |
Territorial Waters & Maritime Zones Act No. 26
|
18nm |
Security zone defined as a zone of the high seas
extending 6nm beyond the outer limit of the
territorial sea. Claims jurisdiction to enforce laws
and regulations relating to security in zone.
This claim is not recognized by the U.S. U.S.
protested this claim in 1982 and conducted
operational assertions in 1995, 1996, and 1998. |
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|
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CONTINENTAL SHELF |
Apr 74 |
Territorial Waters & Maritime Zones Act No. 26
|
|
"up to the outer limits of continental margin
bordering on the ocean basin or abyssal floor." |
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Aug 74 |
Petroleum Act |
|
Government has exclusive right to explore/exploit
petroleum. |
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|
|
|
|
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FISHING ZONE/EEZ |
Apr 74 |
Territorial Waters & Maritime Zones Act No. 26 |
|
EEZ. Enabling legislation for "any zone of the high
seas adjacent to the territorial waters."
Authorized establishment of conservation zones and
implementation of conservation measures therein. |
| |
Apr 74 |
Proclamation No. LT-I/3/74 |
200nm |
Established limits of EEZ. |
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|
|
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ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATION
|
Apr 74 |
Territorial Waters & Maritime Zones Act No. 26 |
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Authorized government to take "appropriate measures"
to control pollution "in the high seas adjacent to
the territorial waters." |
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LOS CONVENTION |
Dec 82 |
|
|
Signed. |
STRAIGHT BASELINE LEGISLATION
Following are extracts from Proclamation No. LT-I/3/74 of
the Government of Bangladesh of 13 April 1974:
-
In
exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of
section 3 of the Territorial Waters and Maritime Zones
Act, 1974 (Act No. XXVI of 1974), and in super session
of any previous declaration on the subject, the
Government is pleased to declare that the limits of the
sea specified in paragraph 2 beyond the land territory
and internal waters of Bangladesh shall be the
territorial waters of Bangladesh.
-
The
limits of the sea referred to in paragraph 1 shall be
twelve nautical miles measured seaward and the baselines
set out in paragraph 3 so that each point of the outer
limit of the sea to the nearest point inward on the
baselines is twelve nautical miles.
-
The
baselines from which territorial waters shall be
measured seaward are the straight lines linking
successively the baseline points set out below:
TABLE
2-18
BANGLADESH STRAIGHT BASELINE SYSTEM
|
POINT |
LATITUDE NORTH |
LONGITUDE EAST |
|
No. 1 |
21°12' OO" N. |
89°O6' 45" E. |
|
No. 2 |
21°15' 00" N. |
89°16' OO" E. |
|
No. 3 |
21°29' 00" N. |
89°36' OO" E. |
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No. 4 |
21°21' 00" N. |
89°55' 00" E. |
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No. 5 |
21°11' OO" N. |
9O°33' OO" E. |
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No. 6 |
21°07' 30" N. |
91°O6' OO" E. |
|
No. 7 |
21°10' 00" N. |
91°56' OO" E. |
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No. 8 |
20°21' 45" N. |
92°17' 3O" E. |
In
exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of
section 5 of the Territorial Waters and Maritime Zones
Act, 1974 (Act No. XXVI of 1974), the Government is
pleased to declare that the Zone of the high seas
extending to 200 nautical miles measured from the
baselines shall be the economic zone of Bangladesh.
Source:
http://www.un.org/Depts/los/LEGISLATIONANDTREATIES/PDFFILES/BGD_1974_Notification.pdf
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