Asian Age: Cattle smuggling ahead of Eid-ul-Azha through the border areas in Sylhet and Sunamganj has continued, in spite of recurring drives by different law enforcement agencies, especially Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB). Syndicates of cattle smugglers bring cattle through border points in different upazilas of the district from neighboring India, and those are supplied to different parts of the country by Legunas, trucks, microbuses, pick-ups and boats. Border areas of Jokiganj , Khanaighat and jointa in Sylhet, Tekerghat in Taherpur upazila and Naraontola in Sadar upazila in Sunamgonj are serving as safe zones for smugglers, locals said. Indian cattle traders sell cows to Bangladeshi traders at many bordering villages and the cows are being smuggled into the country through managing the border forces of both the countries. To control the smuggling, legalize the smuggled cows and get customs duty from it, customs, excise and vat office in Sylhet officially declared three new corridors in three districts of the division last year along with the older one in Moulvibazar district but the smuggling sees rise day by day.
‘Many of the cows are also bringing in ‘foot and mouth disease’, locally known as ‘khura rog,’ which is creating a severe threat to our local farm cows,’ said Dr Md Gias Uddin, deputy director of the Department of Livestock in Sylhet.
Bishwajit Kumar Paul, UNO of Gowainghat, said these cows were not supposed to cross the border in the upazila as the district’s only corridor is at Compainganj upazila.
The situation is also posing threat to local cattle farmers, who target the Eid-ul-Azha as their biggest selling opportunity with high price, he added.