Hilsa being smuggled out to India ahead of Pahela Baishakh

LALMONIRHAT, Apr 11 (UNB) : Tonnes of hilsa fishes are being smuggled out to India ahead of Pahela Baishakh and huge phensidyl syrup, wine and heroin are coming into the country through 30 points in five upazilas of the bordering district everyday. Pahela Baishakh, the 1st day in Bangla calendar is celebrated with fried hilsa and rice in both Bangladesh and India's West Bengal and parts of Assam and Tripura states. Lalmonirhat town is bursting with fish smugglers and drug peddlers, who throng in 30 points in border areas of Patgram, Hatibandha, Kaliganj, Aditmari and Sadar Upazilas at night to smuggle out tonnes of hilsa. They are also engaged in illegally bringing thousands of phensidyl bottles from India to make quick money banking on Pahela Baishakh. More than 30 fish traders and 200 drug peddlers are active in smuggling in Burimari land port Patgram, Hatibandha and Moghulghat to do brisk business because of high demand of hilsa in India this season and growing demand of phensidyl ahead of 1st Baishakh. Local sources said a quartet of hilsa is sold at several thousand rupees in West Bengal on Bengali New Year. Banking on Baishakh unscrupulous fish traders bring hilsa loading in trucks and trains from Goalando of Rajbari, Chandpur and Barisal. Each hilsa is sold at an exorbitant price in Lalmonirhat town as bulk of fish is smuggled out to India. In return Indian smugglers send phensidyl to Bangladesh using 30 points in the five upazilas, causing great loss to the country. Phensidyl brought in by smugglers through the 30 different routes, is sent to capital Dhaka, port city of Chittagong, Rajshahi and Bogra as the banned Indian syrup is in great demand in the cities and towns and each bottle is sold at Tk 1000. Frontier villages of Khengti, Jhalangi, Jyottber, Kuchlibari, Shamshernagar, Dhabalsuti, Panbari, Dahagram and Kowamari of Patgram Upazila, Barokhata, Singimari, Doikhaoa, Gotamari and Naodabas of Hatibandha Upazila, Boraipara, Khamarbhati, Chandrapur, Jaorani, Lohakuchi of Kaliganj Upazila and Mohishkhocha, Bhadai and Durgapur of Aditmari Upazila and Kulaghat, Mughalhat, Kharua, Majhipara, Durakuthi and Moidanerghat of Sadar Upazila are used as routes for smuggling out Hilsa.