RAJSHAHI, May 27: Through Rajshahi and Chapainawabganj borders, Indian cows are entering Bangladesh on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha.
Cows are mostly brought through borders of Poba, Motihar and Godagari upazilas in Rajshahi and Ohedpur and Raghunathpur borders in Shibganj Upazila in Chapainawabganj District.
Local farm owners are concerning about arrival of Indian cows as these can bring down prices of local cows. According to reliable sources, in connivance with some law-enforcing members, unscrupulous border cattle traders are smuggling in Indian cows expecting higher profits as they don't have to pay tax or customs duty.
Two frauds were arrested by BGB who took money from cow traders in the name of administrative men on Thursday at 12pm. On a secret information, they were arrested from Hotel Gulshan in the city.
They are: Md Mehedi Hasan, son of late Abdur Rashid of Khagra Village in Atpara Police Station (PS) in Netrakona, and Md Nizam Uddin, son of late Waziullah of Kalikapur Village in Begumganj PS in Noakhali. BGB said, they had been realising huge amount of money from cow traders introducing them as men of the administration for a long time.
But cow traders and haat leasees said, farmers and farm owners purchased calves and reared these accordingly.
Now when these are taken to haats, BGB members are seizing these cows on the way in suspicion of Indian cows, they added. Low-income cow farmers are affected mostly due to this.
But BGB said, as there is tight security along borders cows are brought through smuggling routes.
BGB-1-Rajshahi Battalion on May 21 seized 22 Indian cows and two Nasimons in a drive in Poba Upazila's Bagdhani, Bagsara and Duari areas, 6.5 kilometre away from Border Pikllar-60/5-S. These were handed over to Customs.
BGB sources said, these cows were seized by patrol team of BGB as these were brought to City Haat to sell at higher prices. But traders and leasees said, these are local cows. At the time of seizing, traders produced receipts that these were purchased from different villages and haats.
Leasee of City Haat in Rajshahi Sawkat Ali said, BGB members' duty is to seize cows in border areas; but they are doing this on roads. "Not only that, these are passing the local cows as Indian cows. We will not accept this.
Because local farmers reared these cows in great trouble for profit. After seizing cows on the road, these are handed over to Customs, and Customs are selling these through auction. Now traders are in fear to lift their cows at haats."
"We all are affected," they added.
Protesting the BGB action, City Haat leasee, traders and traffickers went to BGB-1 Sadar Headquarters at Shalbagan in the city, and they tried to create unrest situation. By chanting slogan they besieged the Rajshahi-Naogaon highway.
Sector Commander of BGB-1 Colonel Md Imran Ibne Abdur Rouf said, the cows are Indians, and so these were seized. Documents were found fake in Customs checking, he added.
Commander of Rajshahi BGB-1 Hasibul Haq said, in the name of some top military officials, border frauds applied strategic tricks in passing Indian cows as locals. They demand an advance amount of Tk 35,000 for per pair cows and Tk 10,000 as border pass charge. It is an innovative strategy to take money from cow traders, he added. Already two frauds have been arrested, and legal action has been taken against them, he maintained.
