Unabated cattle smuggling

Cattle smuggling through the borders in the district has continued despite recurring drives by different law enforcement agencies, especially Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).

BGB seized 11 cattle worth about Tk 5.5 lakh in Matirabon area last week. They seized one cow on October 14, and five cattle on October 18 in the border areas of the district.

A syndicate of cattle smugglers brings the cattle from neighboring India through different border points in the district and sends them to different parts of the country by various means of transport.

Cattle traders pay Tk 1,000 to Tk 2,000 per cow for bringing the animals from the border , depending on the size.

Smugglers usually prefer the routes in different border areas of the district as there are few rivers there, making the smuggling of cattle easy, locals said.

BGB Commanding Officer (CO) Lt Col Nasir Uddin Ahmed told this correspondent that the law enforcers have zero tolerance towards cattle smuggling as it is the main reason for border killings. Some people take up this profession because they can make a lot of money, he added.

If cattle smuggling can be stopped, border killings will also decrease, Col Nasir said, adding that they  try to raise awareness of the people about the matter and encourage rearing of cattle that  will reduce the demand for smuggled cattle.

He said communication is the main problem in patrolling the border areas in the district.