7D. (1) The Area in the Bay of Bengal shall be determined in accordance with the consideration and recommendations by the United Nations Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS), and the Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, specify its limit.

(2) The Area and its resources shall be considered as the common heritage of mankind.

(3) The substances or goods found in the Area of archaeological and historical nature shall be preserved or distributed for the welfare of mankind:

Provided that if Bangladesh is the cultural, historical, and archaeological origin of such substances or goods, priority of Bangladesh shall be considered.

(4) The Government may make rules with regard to activities in the Area, exploration and methods of exploitation and participation of Bangladesh in the International Seabed Authority (ISA).

Explanation.- For the purpose of this section,-

(a)  “Area” means the seabed and ocean floor and subsoil thereof, beyond the limits of national jurisdiction.

(b)  “Resources of the Area” means all solid, liquid or gaseous mineral resources in situ in the Area at or beneath the seabed, including but not limited to-

(i) polymetallic nodules; defined as may deposit or accretion of nodule on or below the surface of the deep sea level which contains metals such as manganese, nickel, cobalt and copper;

(ii) polymetallic sulphides, defined as hydrothermally formed deposits of sulphides and accompanying mineral resources in the sea which contains concentration of metals such as copper, lead, zinc, gold, silver etc.;

(iii) cobalt crusts, defined as cobalt rich ferromanganese hydroxide or oxide deposits or from direct precipitation of minerals from sea water onto substrates and containing concentrations of metal such as cobalt, lithium nickel, platinum, molybdenum, deuterium, cerium and other metallic and rare earth elements; and resources, when recovered from the Area; and

                       (iv) any other mineral resources including gas-hydrates.