• The market's lessee is a leader of the district Anti-Discrimination Student Movement
• With toll receipts in hand, BGB cannot take action against these Indian cattle even after seizing them
• Local farmers will suffer losses if Indian cattle keep coming in this way

Despite tight border controls, cattle smuggling has risen in the Doarabazar and Chhatak border areas of Sunamganj ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. Evading the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), large numbers of cattle are crossing at night from India over the remote Meghalaya border. A cattle market is then legitimising these cattle by issuing toll (hasil) receipts and sending them through wholesalers to different parts of the country.

Inquiries found that special boats have been built to carry the illegal Indian cattle, with wooden decking in the hull and bamboo fencing on both sides. They bring the cattle along various rivers of Sunamganj to be sold at cattle markets in Netrokona, Sunamganj, Mohanganj, Barhatta and Dharmapasha.

Bogla Bazar cattle market lies in the border area of Doarabazar upazila. It was leased this year for about Tk 2 crore 40 lakh for the sale of local cattle. But illegal Indian cattle, brought in by evading government revenue, are regularly being legitimised at this market and sent on to markets in Sunamganj and elsewhere in the country.

On 1 May, 90 Indian cattle were being taken from Bogla Bazar by special boat to the Dharmapasha cattle market. Acting on intelligence, BGB seized the loaded boat at Saheb Bari ghat on the Surma river. The cattle were then tied up on the grounds of BGB's 28 Battalion in Sunamganj, which looked like a small cattle market.

To check whether the cattle were local or Indian, the Department of Livestock Services was called in. A team examined their build and features and told BGB that the seized cattle had ten traits of Meghalaya cattle, including short legs, short horns, marks on the forehead and smooth coats: they were Meghalaya cattle. But when BGB wanted to auction them publicly, a serious problem arose. Because the cattle had valid market papers, BGB was caught in a legal bind. The cattle were handed over to the market authorities after a regular case was filed.

Subir Ahmed, who came to collect the cattle on behalf of the market lessees, said: "How did the livestock officer know these are Indian cattle? Even if they are Indian, there's no problem."

Livestock department official Dr Mohammad Rafiqul Islam told Jago News, however, that the seized cattle were Indian. "Bogla Bazar is legitimising these cattle. If Indian cattle keep coming in like this, it will become a big problem for local farmers."

The market's lessee, Faisal Ahmed, joint convener of the district Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, told Jago News that Bogla Bazar is a traditional market and some people were doing this to damage its reputation.

He added that he knew nothing about the 90 cattle seized by BGB, because he does not stay at home much.

Imon Dozza, convener of the district Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, told Jago News he knew little about Bogla Bazar. "But I have heard that the district movement's joint convener has taken the lease. If I hear that Indian cattle are being legitimised at that market, action will certainly be taken against him."

Separately, there are allegations that smugglers bring in cattle at night by secret border routes at a total of 30 spots in Doarabazar and Chhatak upazilas, including Baganbari, Gachhgara, Mokambari, Bhangapara, Mathgaon, Narsinghpur, Sripur, Samargaon, Kalaura, Bashtala and Chowdhurypara. Local farmers are constantly losing out because of Indian cattle coming across the border.

Farmer Hridoy Mia told Jago News: "The way Bogla Bazar is legitimising illegal cattle is harmful for the country and for us farmers."

Doarabazar resident Humayun Mia told Jago News that every day and night illegal cattle are being made legal with Bogla Bazar toll papers and sent by boat and vehicle to different parts of the country.

Farmer Sonafar Ali told Jago News: "We are not making much profit taking local cattle to market, because the markets have Indian cattle, which are much cheaper than local ones."

Lt Col Zakaria Kadir, commander of BGB's 28 Battalion in Sunamganj, told Jago News that because Bogla Bazar cattle market is close to the border, smugglers can easily give the cattle Bangladeshi legitimacy. "We have spoken about moving the market away from the border area. BGB has also stepped up patrols to prevent smuggling ahead of Eid."

He added that 450 illegal Indian cattle had been seized in the Doarabazar border area over the past three months.

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