DHAKA, – The government is working to make the Territorial Waters and Maritime Zone Act-1974 time-befitting and updated in line with the verdicts of international court regarding sea.

As a part of the initiative, the Cabinet on Monday in principle approved the draft of “The Territorial Waters and Maritime Zone (Amendment) Act-2019” with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair at her office here.

“Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman enacted the existing ‘Territorial Waters and Maritime Zone Act, 1974’ at the time when there was no such law at any part of the globe,” a foreign ministry release quoted Foreign Minister Dr. AK Abdul Momen as saying.

“The cabinet on Monday approved the draft of the “Territorial Waters and Maritime Zone
(Amendment) Act, 2019” by bringing amendments to the 1974 law to make it a time-befitting and
updated one in line with the verdicts of the international court regarding the sea,” the foreign minister said.

Momen added that India, Pakistan, Norway and some others countries of the world later enacted the law whereas the United Nations formulated the Maritime Zone Act in 1982.

Due to having the existing Territorial Waters and Maritime Zone Act-1974, the rights of Bangladesh was established on 1.80 lakh square kilometres sea areas, he said.

All types of rights on the 350 nautical miles of sea areas from the coast were also established due to the law, he added.

The foreign minister went on saying that the rights of Bangladesh were too established up to the North Pole for that law.