Dhaka: BNP on Thursday hailed India as its parliament passed the long-pending constitutional amendment bill regarding the land boundary agreement with Bangladesh.

“The bill relating to land boundary agreement between the two countries has been passed in Indian parliament after 40 years which will put an end to the sufferings of rights-deprived enclave people of the two nations. We greet the people of India, its government and political parties, including BJP, Congress and Trinamool Congress,” said party spokesman Asaduzzaman Ripon.

Addressing a press briefing at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, Ripon, also the BNP’s international affairs secretary, on behalf of BNP chairperson Khaleda Zia, greeted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and Tripura and Assam’s Chief Ministers.

A day after India’s upper house Rajya Sabha passed it, the Indian Lok Sabha, the Lower House of Indian parliament, on Thursday passed the much-sought constitutional amendment bill regarding the land boundary agreement with Bangladesh.

The Lok Sabha rubberstamped the constitutional amendment bill that has effectively ratified the LBA, also known as the Mujib-Indira treaty of 1974, around 6:10pm (local time).

The Bill was also unanimously passed by India’s upper house Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. The LBA will come into effect as soon the Indian President assents to it.

Giving his party’s instant reaction, Ripon said the underprivileged people of enclaves of the two countries will be able to get citizenship of their respective countries when the Bill will come into effect.

He, however, said Bangladesh will lose 500 acres of land following the agreement.

“We still didn’t go through the deal. So, at this moment, we neither welcome nor oppose the agreement,” Ripon added.