Lesson 3/45 min
Border places, disputes and Seven Sisters
Border districts and border places
| District | Border areas (Khandokar + Zubair) |
|---|---|
| Kurigram | Roumari, Baraibari; Kalabari, Itamari, Bhurungamari, Rajibpur |
| Lalmonirhat | Burimari; Hatibandha, Patgram, Dahagram |
| Sylhet | Tamabil, Nayagram, Padua; Jaintapur, Pratappur, Gowainghat, Jakiganj, Beanibazar |
| Moulvibazar | Barlekha, Domabari |
| Satkhira | Kaikhali, Baikari, Kushkhali; Kalaroa, Padmashakhra, Debhata, Kaliganj |
| Panchagarh | Banglabandha, Berubari |
| Dinajpur | Birol, Birampur; Hili, Phulbari |
| Joypurhat | Uchna, Chechra |
| Feni | Belonia, Muhurigonj; Fulgazi |
| Sherpur | Nalitabari |
| Habiganj | Chunarughat |
| Nilphamari | Chilahati |
| Rajshahi | Paba, Godagari; Charghat |
| Meherpur | Mujibnagar, Gangni |
| Cox's Bazar | Ukhia |
| Chapainawabganj | Sona Mosque, Shibganj, Bholahat; Gomastapur |
| Thakurgaon | Baliadangi, Haripur (Zubair) |
| Jashore | Benapole, Sharsha, Jhikargacha (Zubair) |
| Kushtia | Bheramara (Zubair) |
| Khagrachari | Panchhari (Zubair) |
| Cumilla | Chauddagram, Bibir Bazar, Burichang (Zubair) |
Disputed border spots (Khandokar)
| Place | Where |
|---|---|
| South Talpatti island | Satkhira, at the mouth of the Hariabhanga river |
| Nayadwip | west of South Talpatti, Satkhira |
| Muhuri char | Feni district; an unresolved Bangladesh-India stretch |
| Belonia border | on the Muhuri river in Feni |
| Nayagram | Beanibazar border, Sylhet |
| Banshbaria | Satkhira border |
| Nirmal char | Rajshahi border (Khandokar says it came under Bangladesh in 1997) |
| Roumari and Baraibari | Kurigram |
| Char Farid | mouth of the Naf river; a Bangladesh-Myanmar dispute |
Watch out: The unresolved Muhuri char stretch is 2 km in Khandokar and 2.5 km in Zubair, so do not memorise a number. South Talpatti surfaced after the 1970 Bhola cyclone; India called it New Moore. In 2010 the island sank into the sea.
Seven Sisters and related questions
- The Seven Sisters are India's seven north-eastern states; with capitals: Assam-Dispur, Mizoram-Aizawl, Tripura-Agartala, Arunachal-Itanagar, Meghalaya-Shillong, Nagaland-Kohima, Manipur-Imphal
- Four border Bangladesh: Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura
- Three do not: Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur
- A border state outside the Seven Sisters: West Bengal
- The committee for demarcating the border: JBWG (Joint Boundary Working Group)
Doklam, Siliguri Corridor and border terms (Zubair)
- Doklam: a disputed China-India-Bhutan border area, linked to Sikkim and Tibet. Indian name Doka La, Chinese name Donglang
- Siliguri Corridor (Chicken's Neck): the narrow strip between Bangladesh and Nepal that links the Seven Sisters to India; Siliguri is in Darjeeling district, West Bengal
- Push-in/push-back: forcing people over the border into the other country and sending them back
- Flag meeting: an urgent meeting of the two sides to settle a border problem
Check yourself
Which Indian border state is not one of the Seven Sisters?
At a glance
- 1
The Seven Sisters are 7 states; Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura border Bangladesh; Nagaland, Arunachal and Manipur do not.
- 2
West Bengal borders Bangladesh but is outside the Seven Sisters.
- 3
The border demarcation committee: JBWG.
- 4
Disputed: South Talpatti, Muhuri char (Feni), Char Farid (Naf, with Myanmar).
- 5
Siliguri Corridor = Chicken's Neck, Darjeeling district; Doklam is a China-India-Bhutan dispute.