Ahead of the upcoming border conference (Delhi, Feb 16 to 20) between the chiefs of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and India's Border Security Force (BSF), Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (Retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Wednesday said all "unequal agreements" made with India during the Awami League government’s tenure will be discussed.
The adviser has been quoted as saying, during a press briefing, by Dhaka Tribune that "Indian nationals in border areas often produce drugs."
"They manufacture Phensedyl and smuggle it into Bangladesh. Although they claim to produce it as medicine, it is actually made as a narcotic," the adviser claimed as per the Dhaka Tribune report.
"Measures to curb border violations, illegal crossings, or infiltrations by the BSF or Indian nationals will be emphasized. Additionally, preventing the smuggling of illegal drugs like yaba and Phensedyl, weapons, ammunition, and explosives from India into Bangladesh will be a priority," he further said.
Meanwhile, a report in the India Today on the busting of three underground bunkers filled with 62,200 bottles of Phensedyl syrup near the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal’s Nadia district, said that it is a development that highlights the growing complexities of cross-border smuggling.
The seizure, valued at over Rs 1.4 crore, not only points to the increasing ingenuity of smuggling networks but also raises concerns about potential subversive activities amid the shifting political dynamics in Bangladesh, the report noted.
The operation was carried out on January 24, based on intelligence inputs.
The bunkers contained Phensedyl, a cough syrup banned in Bangladesh due to its misuse as an addictive substance. Legally manufactured and sold in India, the syrup is highly sought after in the neighbouring country, where it commands a hefty premium. The smuggling of Phensedyl has long been a lucrative trade along the border, often fuelling broader concerns about organised crime and illegal cross-border activities, the report added.
Meanwhile, a Hindustan Times report said that the BSF has increased vigil along the border with Bangladesh after some Indian villagers were injured in an attack by some Bangladeshi nationals in Unakoti district’s Kailasahar area on Sunday.