Bangladesh has registered its objection with the UN to India’s claim over certain areas in the Bay of Bengal, three months after a similar opposition lodged against Myanmar’s claim over sea waters.

“We have submitted our objection to the maritime commission of the UN on October 29,”Bangladesh’s permanent representative to the UN, MA Momen told New Age over telephone Monday evening.

The three nations have not clearly demarcated their maritime boundaries and are moving the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS), a UN body to deal with the law of the seas.

The disputes require urgent solution because of the race for the hydrocarbons in the Bay of Bengal.

India submitted its claim on maritime boundary to the CLCS in May 2009, one month ahead of its deadline.

Bangladesh earlier lodged its objection with the CLCS, a UN body to deal with the law of the seas, in July this year against Myanmar’s claim on the sea waters.

Bangladesh and Myanmar sent warships 50 km down Saint Martin’s Island in November last year as the latter allowed a Korean gas exploration company to send survey team and equipment in the Bangladesh waters.

Dhaka had a stand-off with Myanmar in November last year and with India earlier this year when survey ships from the neighborhood, accompanied by naval vessels, marked their presence in territory that Bangladesh claims as its own.

Dhaka’s disputes over territorial waters in the bay with both New Delhi and Yangon are in two areas – that of natural prolongation of the continental shelf and the baseline.

India argues that the course of the natural prolongation of continental shelf is from east to west while Bangladesh says it is from north to south.

Bangladesh and India have some overlapping claims on baselines.

According to the UN, Bangladesh must demarcate its sea boundaries by July 27, 2011, India by June 29, 2009 and Myanmar by May 21, 2009.

As per the UN provision, claims submitted by any country would not be taken for final consideration before settling the objection raised by a neighboring country which might have overlapping claims.

Bangladesh has problems with India and Myanmar on the issue of ’starting point’ on how to mark the coastlines from the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) that has apparently overlapped claims of the three neighboring countries due to the shape of the Bay of Bengal.

A country is supposed to enjoy its rights to fish and extract and explore other marine resources in its exclusive economic zone, an area of 200 nautical miles into an adjacent sea, according to international maritime law.

Transportation is the key infrustuctral part of a contry development and economy .The Bangladesh railway system is being improved to cope with the growing need to connect throughout the country.

It is also preparing to join the Asian rail network, meaning it will need to adjust its track system and other infrastructure.

Dhaka has recently shed earlier reservations about joining the Asian rail grid and last weekend passed a resolution to form a full-fledged ministry to govern the railway system.

British rulers introduced the railway in undivided India in 1853.

In 1947, the present Bangladesh Railway inherited a portion of the British-Indian Railway network which was designed to feed Kolkata at that time.

The Bangladesh state-run railway covers 2,855 kilometres of track