INDO-BANGLADESH BORDER

Cattle trafficking along Bangladesh border

Promulgation of Section 144 CrPC is there to curb smuggling across the 523-kiolmetre long Bangladesh border in Cooch Behar district but smuggling of cattle is still going on.

Under the prohibitory order the district magistrate of Cooch Behar has clamped a ban on grazing of cattle within 300 metres of the Bangladesh border from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. This step was taken to check cattle lifting by miscreants from the other side of the border and stop smuggling of cattle. The order is still there and most likely it will be extended for another two months, as was done previously. But, no order ever was able to stop cattle smuggling though there exists barbed wire fencing and BSF patrolling along the border.

Strict vigilance was imposed along the border on 30 April to ensure smooth polling of the Lok Sabha election. But, on that night a gang of about ten cattle traffickers tried to breach the border fencing armed with wire cutters near Lalbazar border outpost under Sitalkuchi police station in Mathabhanga with an intension to send about ten cattle on the otherside of the border.

BSF sources said their jawans had to open fire when the miscreants tried to run away on being challenged. A resident of Dahikhawa of Hatibandha in Bangladesh, Rafiqul Mian (25) was gunned down and three cattle were seized. The others of the gang fled away with the remaining cattle.

Recently, the villagers seized 16 cattle from the traffickers at Panch-mile under Sikarpur gram panchayat in Mathabhanga-I block near the border. The traffickers managed to escape. Later, the villagers handed over the seized cattle to the police.

It may be recalled here that a gruesome incident was occurred in Mathabhanga sub-division on 6 January 2008. On that day locals have caught and beaten eight alleged cattle traffickers at Jhakuardham, Palashtala, Chenakata and Bargharia-garkuta villages. Three of them died on the spot. Police rescued the remaining five other injured. The growing anger of villagers against cattle lifters was ventilated by that incident, a senior police officer said.

Forward Bloc leader Md Abdur Rauf alleged that the laying of barbed wire fencing was a failure to stop cattle trafficking. Imposing of the Section 144 CrPC is also of no help. A section of the BSF and police are also involved with the traffickers, he alleged. Trinamul Congress leader Mr Partha Nath Sarkar said the cattle traffickers are still operational along the border in this district. He demanded immediate action against the offenders.

BSF sources in Cooch Behar however claimed that they are keeping a constant watch on the border and seizure of a huge number of cattle in the recent past is a proof of their activity.