Bhasan Char Sandwip’s, not Hatiya’s: Says land ministry

The Ministry of Land has finally resolved the longstanding dispute over the administrative jurisdiction of Bhasan Char, deciding that the island’s six mouzas belong to Sandwip upazila of Chattogram and not Hatiya of Noakhali.

On January 15, the survey branch of the ministry issued a letter to the relevant authorities, directing them to take necessary actions following the new decision.

According to the official letter issued on January 13, signed by Ibrahim Miazi, assistant secretary to the land ministry, the decision was based on rigorous scientific data.

Earlier in 2017, the then-government issued a gazette notification placing Bhasan Char under the jurisdiction of Hatiya, sparking social movements and protests among Sandwip residents.

Following the Awami League government’s ouster in 2024, the executive branch took steps to resolve the issue as per court directives. An 18-member technical committee was formed, comprising government officials and professionals from both Chattogram and Noakhali districts. 

The committee reached its conclusion after an extensive review of historical documents, CS (cadastral survey) and RS (revisional survey) records, and analysis of satellite imagery, said officials of the Chattogram Divisional Commissioner’s office.

The inter-district technical team conducted a field visit to Bhasan Char on November 19 last year and collected precise coordinate data using GPS the following day.

To ensure accuracy, the committee used Geo-referencing to superimpose the Lat-Long (latitude and longitude) data from the CS maps of Chattogram’s Sandwip upazila onto modern Google satellite imagery. This digital mapping clearly demonstrated that all six mouzas of Bhasan Char geographically align with the historical boundaries of Sandwip.

Dr Md Ziauddin, divisional commissioner of Chattogram, confirmed that the committee submitted its final report to the ministry in the first week of December. 

After reviewing the report, the land ministry made the decision and issued directives accordingly.