Beef from neighboring country is being smuggled into Rajshahi through various bordering points of Bagha Upazila of the district. The price of locally sacrificed cow beef being high, a section of dishonest traders were smuggling the Indian beef and are selling those at Tk.400 per kilogramme whereas the price of local beef is Tk.660 to 580 per kilogramme. The price of Indian beef being low, local consumers are also preferring to purchase Indian beef from the butchers and meat-traders.
According to BGB sources, recently BGB members seized 35-kgs of Indian beef from the Alaipur frontier area under Bagha Upazila. The beef was kept in separate polythene packets and those packets were being carried in a plastic sac.
Local sources informed, Indian sacrificed cattle meat is being smuggled through Alaipur-Mirganj frontier routes regularly. Local people were purchasing those meat for various social functions and for personal consumption and those meat are also being purchased by the local restaurant and hotel owners.
It is learnt, the local dishonest meat traders were supplying the Indian beef to the customers directly in polythene packets.
Sohag Ali of Bagha informed, the house of his sister is at Alaipur frontier area. Recently he went to visit his sister's house and had a meal there with Indian beef meat. He further said, Indian beef is not as tasty as that of the local beef. The smugglers carry Indian beef from across the border daily and sell those secretly to the customers, meat traders and to the hotels. The smuggled Indian beef is not sold openly, he added.
Sajedul Islam, a local beef trader, informed that the sales of their shop have dropped recently due to smuggling of Indian beef. Cattles are at first sacrificed in India and then the beef of those are smuggled into the country, he said further.
Meraj Sarker and Saiful Islam, Chairmen of Pakuria and Monigram Union Parishad respectively informed, the issue has been raised at the monthly law and order meeting.
Bagha upazila Nirbahi Officer Sharmin Akhter in this connection informed, she was unaware of the incident of smuggling of Indian beef through Bagha border points.
After learning of the issue, she asked the responsible BGB BGNB officials at Alaipur and Mirganj border points and the Officer-in-charge of Bagha police station. Moreover, the local markets are being monitored and action will be taken against those selling Indian meat.
Subedar Abdur Rab, BGB Company Commander of Alaipur BGB frontier outpost informed, he came to learn that the dishonest meat traders were carrying sacrificed Indian cow-beef on four-day a week-Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The list of those dishonest traders is being prepared and BGB patrolling through the bordering routes has also been intensified. Seized beef has been destroyed, he added.
Dr Roknuzzaman, Bagha Upazila Animal Resource Officer informed, being informed about the smuggling of Indian beef, he held a meeting with the field workers and the meat traders of Bagha and directed all of his field workers to collect information about the selling Indian beef and said stern action will be taken anyone involved in smuggling of Indian cattle meat. Dr Asaduzzaman Asad, Bagha Upazila Health and Family Planning Officer informed, the quality of Indian beef might deteriorate and stale due to carrying those in poly packs and sacs for a long time and consumption of those meat would cause various stomach ailments.