There is a risk of hilsa and fertiliser being smuggled to neighbouring countries, home adviser Lieutenant General (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has said. For that reason, stopping the smuggling of hilsa, fertiliser and other goods by sea and river must be part of the Coast Guard's core duty, he said.

He said this at a views-exchange meeting with senior officers and sailors at the Bangladesh Coast Guard headquarters in the Agargaon administrative area of the capital on Monday, 16 September.

The adviser said the government is not exporting hilsa to India this year in view of domestic demand. Moreover, despite the ongoing dollar crisis, the government has kept up supplies by importing sufficient fertiliser. Against this backdrop there is a risk of hilsa and fertiliser being smuggled to neighbouring countries, so stopping smuggling of these and other goods by sea and river must be part of the Coast Guard's core duty.

He said that although moral decline has appeared among various law enforcement agencies, the Coast Guard is an exception. It has maintained ethical standards and performed well in its assigned duties. "For that I thank them sincerely from the bottom of my heart," he said.

Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said corruption has entered every pore of society, and there is no sector without corruption.

The adviser urged Coast Guard members to uphold their past tradition and honour in standing against corruption and to maintain transparency in purchases and procurement, including of weapons. He assured them of the necessary cooperation and measures to solve various problems, including housing, manpower, weapons and the purchase and procurement of patrol and rescue vessels.

Among others, Dr Mohammad Abdul Momen, senior secretary of the Public Security Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs, and Bangladesh Coast Guard director general Rear Admiral Mir Ershad Ali were present at the meeting.

The adviser was briefed on the Coast Guard's various activities, and signed the Coast Guard's inspection book at the end of the meeting.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.