India-Bangladesh borders- the well lit heaven for illegal smuggling of animals, humans and drugs

Sublime or sorry, what is the condition of the security of India-Bangladesh international borders in Karimganj? This story will give you an idea about the current state of the security.

BSF’s 07 and 53 battalions are in charge of securing Indian side of the fencing. 53 has been roped in recently. Since last four months it was only 07. To bridge the transition, numerous ad hoc companies are deployed in the border areas. There are floodlights brightening the dark and barbed wire fencing all across. So far it looks like the international India-Bangladesh border security mechanism is a well-oiled machine. 

But you know what, the miscreants from Bangladesh do not give a damn about it. All these obstacles are cake walk for them. They enter India illegally, steal cattle, buffalo, pocket banned drugs and easily go back to their country. Yes, it reads and seems like smuggling but it is treated as a legal trade between the two neighbouring countries.

Eid-Al-Adha or Bakri Eid has just passed. It is considered as a festival of sacrifice and sacredly followed by the Muslim communities all over the world. The essence of the festival lies in the fact that the abled ones willingly sacrifice for the benefit of the poor. This Eid, many Indians had to sacrifice their pet animals unwillingly. Reports of missing cattles and buffaloes have been registered in the border areas of Longai, Putni, Medni, Nilambazaar, Barmagul, Baropunji, Gondhai, Karimganj Sadar. About 30 cows including a bull dedicated to Lord Shiva, is missing from Adamtilla alone. The locals tell us this has been happening every year during Qurbani since some time now.

It is not that Eid is what fuels this flame of illegal trading, in last one year, more than 1500 animals, mostly cows and buffaloes have been stolen from Indian side of the fence.

The illegal smuggling is not limited to animals only. Recent reports and on ground developments indicate it is much beyond that. Banned drugs, cough syrup, ecstasy pills and other party drugs too pass the borders now. Locals surrounding the bordering areas have another issue to worry about -trafficking! They feel it is a vulnerable state for young females in the vicinity as they are prone to kidnapping, sex-trafficking.

Bangladesh and Nepal are the worst affected when it comes to trafficking of teenager, the girls are first kidnapped (in some cases voluntarily sold by family members) and later enrolled in the world of prostitution. Reports of girls missing have already started to surface marking more worrying signs for the locals.

How do they do it despite the BSF battalions, barbed wire fencing and sun-bright flood lights. Well, ideally whenever a thief or an illegal migrant try to trespass the borders they should be nabbed and there are enough arrangements made for that. This is where a huge chunk of taxpayer’s money is invested.

But, there are challenges too. The border areas are covered with dense forest, surrounded with lakes, drains and wetlands. The thieves at times swim underwater and cross the border but most often they dig holes under the fencing of cut it to trespass. Tin sheets are used to glide animals from one side to another. Few days back BSF found out a suspicious underground hume-pipe tunnel connecting the two countries. After investigation they officials found out that this tunnel was used to smuggle animals and there are rumours that many more such tunnels exist both under the surface of land and water.

What happens after the cattle or buffalo is stolen? Before we get to that, let us think about the people whose cattle and buffaloes are being stolen and what is the extent of loss… These are typically the poor people with very low per-capita income in most cases people falling under the below poverty line category. They make a living out of these animals which they pet and grow. They sell milk or use them in the paddy fields. So, when a cattle or a bull or a buffalo is stolen it is not just an animal taken away from them, a livelihood is what they lose.

Coming back to what happens after the animal is missing, a report is registered in the local police station which in few days gets hidden in one of the files. These are not the people who can afford an inter-country legal war so their wound becomes scar and stays forever