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A BSF personnel stands guard on the India-Bangladesh border checkpost. Officers mentioned makes an attempt to smuggle cattle have been made in each Meghalaya and Bangladesh following Hasina’s flight to India from Bangladesh. (PTI)
Sources mentioned throughout a gathering held after Sheikh Hasina’s authorities fell in Bangladesh, the BSF raised considerations about cattle smuggling. In response, Border Guard Bangladesh highlighted the problem of Hilsa smuggling
Forces just like the BSF and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have tightened safety on the India-Bangladesh border not solely to forestall human trafficking but additionally to deal with smuggling of cattle and Hilsa fish.
Based on a senior Border Safety Drive (BSF) official, the pressure is monitoring the smuggling of cattle into Bangladesh and has instructed all troops to patrol round the clock. On the opposite aspect, sources indicated that the BGB has strengthened safety to forestall the unlawful smuggling of Hilsa, a well-liked fish in India.
Hilsa — usually regarded the king of fishes in West Bengal — has a novel style that has captured the creativeness of generations of Bengalis. Nevertheless, the low availability of the fish in India usually shoots up its costs to as a lot as Rs 2,500 per kilogram, making it largely depending on imports from Bangladesh. Furthermore, the Hilsa of Bangladesh are thought-about tastier as they’re primarily captured from River Padma — a candy water breeding floor.
Traditionally, Hilsa has additionally been used as a bargaining chip between India and Bangladesh. Amid West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s sturdy stand on not sharing the water of River Teesta with Bangladesh, former prime minister Sheikh Hasina performed the Hilsa card a number of instances, inflicting anger in West Bengal. In 2023, the federal government allowed 79 fish exporters to export 50 metric tons every to India, with permission legitimate till October 30.
Sources additionally claimed that in a gathering held after Hasina’s authorities fell in Bangladesh, the BSF raised considerations about cattle smuggling. In response, BGB highlighted the problem of Hilsa smuggling. Moreover, the BSF Intelligence wing has been requested to examine smuggling actions as native touts concerned in human trafficking from the Bangladesh aspect may additionally help in cattle smuggling.
Officers mentioned makes an attempt to smuggle cattle have been made in each Meghalaya and Bangladesh following Hasina’s flight to India from Bangladesh. In a collection of particular operations, BSF troops thwarted cattle smuggling on the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya and rescued 23 cattle.
In one other incident, BGB arrested 5 Indians, claiming they had been armed and concerned in cattle smuggling. However, the BSF argued that the BGB had wrongly arrested the people as they had been making an attempt to cease cattle smugglers and inadvertently crossed the border.
Final week, Bangladeshi authorities requested border-guarding forces to maintain a detailed watch on Hilsa fish smuggling, and this has been mentioned with Indian authorities as properly, sources mentioned. Since 2019, Bangladesh has allowed the export of Hilsa fish throughout India’s pageant season that begins in October. Nevertheless, through the Puja season, smugglers have traditionally tried to smuggle Hilsa via the porous border, a problem that will likely be harder now as a result of tightened safety.
