Smuggled cattle returned to BSF

Statesman News Service

MALDA, March 31: This is the first time the Bangladesh Rifles have seized smuggled cattle in their villages and handed them over to the Border Security Force, said Mr GC Nayek, the commanding officer of 123-Battalion BSF, today.

The BSF had alerted the BDR to the smuggled cattle coming through their borders after failing to capture the smugglers on the Indian side of the border. According to Mr Nayek, around 3.30 a.m., the BSF jawan near Mahadipur in English Bazaar failed to prevent eight heads of cattle from entering into Bangladesh, smuggled by three Indian smugglers. At around 7.30 a.m. the BSF requested the commander of Sailmara BOP in Bangladesh to conduct a search operation to spot the smuggled cattle. By 9.30 a.m. they had handed the cattle over to the BSF.

“The BDR jawans under the Sailmara BOP near Naogaon in Chapai Nwabganj district in Bangladesh conducted search operations in the smugglers' villages, seized the cattle and handed them over to the BSF,” Mr Nayek said.

“The BDR not only returned the cattle but promised that they will carry on doing so in the future and pledged to stop the smuggling trade. There can now be coordination between the BSF and BDR,” said Mr Nayek.

The BSF have traditionally blamed the BDR for assisting Indian and Bangladeshi smugglers. The BSF allege that they had previously been forced to open fire on the BDR, after catching them assisting cattle smugglers. The former DIG of Malda BSF sector had consequently sent a protest note to the BDR.