NEW DELHI: At a recent meeting between senior officials of the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Border Guard Bangladesh, the two sides expressed their concerns over illegal trade across the frontline between the two countries.
Officials further added that the Indian side raised concerns about cattle smuggling, whereas the counterparts from Bangladesh highlighted the issue of Hilsa fish smuggling.
Since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in the neighbouring country, the two border guarding forces – the BSF and the BGB - have stepped up their surveillance along the frontiers to not only prevent human trafficking but also illegal trade of cattle and Hilsa fish across the borders.
The officials said that the BSF has been keeping a close eye to prevent the smuggling of cattle into Bangladesh and has passed on instructions to ground forces to patrol round-the-clock. Reciprocating the Indian stance, a source said, the BGB has stepped up their vigil to prevent the illegal smuggling of Hilsa fish.
Considered the King of fish, Hilsa has a unique taste that has captured the imagination of people living in the bordering states of India. The scant availability of the fish in India makes it very costly with a price range as high as Rs 2,500 per kilogram.
Incidentally, the Hilsa of Bangladesh are considered tastier as they are primarily fished from River Padma, which happens to be a sweet water breeding area.
The BSF Intelligence wing has been asked to check smuggling activities as local touts involved in human trafficking from the Bangladesh side might also assist in cattle smuggling.
In recent times, particularly with the change of the government in Bangladesh, the BSF, in a series of operations, thwarted cattle smuggling across the borders in Meghalaya and rescued 23 cattle, the officials said.
The sources said, recently top officials of the BGB instructed their troops on the ground to keep a close watch on Hilsa fish smuggling, and this has been discussed with Indian authorities as well.
The Bangladesh government allowed the export of Hilsa to India in 2019, particularly during festival seasons, as there has always been a spike in the demand for fish products. But, since demands get high, smugglers become active in pushing Hilsa fish through the porous border, which continues to be a challenge for the two border-guarding forces.