UNB, Lalmonirhat :
Different border points of the district witness illegal entry of Indian cattle, mainly cows, in their thousands into the country daily with Eid-ul-Azha, second biggest religion festival of the Muslims, approaching.
Sources concerned said about 700 people are engaged in taking the smuggled cattle from the border areas to local haats (village markets).
These people pass sleepless night to cross the cattle through 27 points of the frontier stretching up to 195 kilometres.
For doing the job, they get Tk1,000-2,000 per cattle. Local cattle traders Russel, Ujjal, Komiz, Ratan, Manik and Mukul said driven by greed, many youths, especially unemployed ones, are now being engaged in cattle smuggling in the dark of night. Law enforcers’ sources said over the last one week, Indian Border Security Force (BSF) troops have detained a number of local youths while bringing cattle in illegal ways through the border points. The detainees either become victims of brutal torture by the BSF troops or are to serve different jail terms in that country.
Some local cattle traders, declining to be named, said ruling party leaders, local union parishad chairmen and corrupt officials of the local administration take illegal toll of Tk200-300 from them against each of smuggled cattle.
Besides, customs officials reportedly take bribe from cattle smugglers allowing them to evade land corridor fee of Tk500 per cattle.
Local sources said in absence of barbed wire fence at Dohogram point, cattle smuggling gangs are bringing a large number of animals into the country through illegal ways.
But, local leaders and activists of the ruling party realise huge amount of toll against the cattle brought in illegally through the frontier points.
Besides, the ruling party men, in connivance with a section of local
administration officials, allegedly realise illegal toll against the cattle setting up check-posts at the border points. Drivers of trucks and human haulers (Nosimon and Korimon) carrying smuggled cattle to different districts said police and cadres of ruling Awami League and its affiliated bodies extort huge money from the cattle-laden vehicles.
Asking not to be named, driver of a truck transporting cattle to Dhaka said police and ruling party cadres force them to pay toll by blocking their way posing to check documents. Moreover, manipulation of the middlemen has an influence in fluctuation of prices of cattle in the local markets.
Mofazzal who came to purchase cattle at Borokhata haat said due to influence of brokers at the market, he could not buy cattle. When buyers intend to buy some cattle, brokers offer around two-fold prices for them.
Contacted, Superintendent of Police TM Mozahidul Islam of Lalmonirhat said they will take steps if anyone lodges written complaint in this regard.
