Cattle influx from India resumes

The cattle influx from India has resumed along the border in Kurigram district ahead of Eid-ul-Azha after months' of fall in its supply since April this year as Indian Home Minister Rajnath Singh had asked BSF jawans to put a stop to cattle smuggling across the India-Bangla border. Though the tightening of the monitoring by BSF along the border led to the sharp surge in beef prices in Bangladesh, it had raised hopes among local cattle farmers that they would get better prices for their cattle during the Eid sale this time.
But their high hopes have started fading away as huge import of Indian cows and buffaloes along the border over the last few days.
Kurigram customs inspector Ashraful Islam said that 35,147 Indian cattle have passed the corridors at Dharla Bridge point and Roumari point in the district this month. When a consignment of illegally imported Indian cattle is seized by the members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), the customs department 'corridors' allegedly take Tk 500 each to clear the way for the traders to take those to local markets.
The cattle inflow has increased greatly over the last few days, according to a press release issued from the office of Kurigram BGB battalion-45 commanding officer Lt Col Zakir Hossain, according to a news agency.

-Shuvo-