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An open border at Mughalhat in Lalmonirhat, allowing free movement of Indians without travel documents, poses serious security and economic threats to Bangladesh.
The one way open border, used by smugglers as safe route to smuggle drugs, arms and other contrabands from India, poses serious security and economic threats to Bangladesh, Bangladeshis living close the border belt told New Age.
They said more than 200 Indians from Jaridharla in Cooch Behar district in West Bengal freely cross into Bangladesh everyday through the border without any obstruction to sell their farm produce and shop at Mughalhat Bazaar.
I come to Mughalhat Bazaar almost everyday to buy essentials, Moslem, a 65-year old Indian, said shortly after crossing into Bangladesh on June 2.
We come to Bangladesh to sell our rice, wheat and other farm produce as there is no market near Jaridharla, separated from the Indian mainland by the river Dharla, he said.
Replying to a question, he said the Border Guard Bangladesh personnel did not stop him when he told them that he was going to shop.
He said almost all the Indians in Jaridharla had to come to Mughalhat for their survival.
He said that the people across this border were traditionally attached to each other.
Moslem said that the people on the two sides have family ties.
However, unlike them, the villagers on the Bangladesh side of the border cannot cross into India out of fear of trigger happy Indian Border Security Force shooting at them indiscriminately.
The Indians, particularly the inhabitants of Jaridharla, can freely cross into Bangladesh without any obstruction from the BGB or the Indian BSF, farmers and shopkeepers at Mughalhat said.
Shahidul, 20, who sells flower, said, We are very familiar with the people in Mughalhat, particularly its shopkeepers, businessmen and farmers.
Carrying a shopping bag, 18-year old Rahmat Ali, said that he had studied up to Class VIII at a school at Mughalhat in Bangladesh.
He said he came to buy 10 kilogram of urea fertiliser, a pack of shampoo and a piece of soap.
He said, We always come to Mughalhat for shopping. None treats us as foreigners.
BGB commanding officer at Lalmonirhat Lieutenant Colonel Aslam Hossain said
BGB remains vigilant on the border and at times seizes contrabands like phensedyl and ganja from India.
Asked how the Indians freely cross into Bangladesh through the Mughalhat border without travel documents, he said one or two of them could stealthily do it from Jaridharla as it is very close to Bangladesh.
He said that the local Bangladeshis should be more alert about the infiltration as the police or BGB personnel cannot always differentiate between Indians and Bangladeshis.
He said that the Bangladeshis living close to the border should inform the police or the BGB whenever they see an Indian inside Bangladesh.
Lalmonirhat deputy commissioner Mokhlesar Rahman Sarker said that he was not aware about the Indians in Jaridharla freely crossing into Bangladesh.
He also said that a handful of Indian families, who live across the Mughalhat border, cannot enter into Bangladesh.
However, Rashidul Islam, a 25-year old Bangladeshi day labourer, said due to indiscriminate shooting by BSF, he no more dares to cross into India, as he once did, to buy cattle.
He said that drugs and arms smuggled from India continue to flood Bangladesh through this border.
New Age | Newspaper
The one way open border, used by smugglers as safe route to smuggle drugs, arms and other contrabands from India, poses serious security and economic threats to Bangladesh, Bangladeshis living close the border belt told New Age.
They said more than 200 Indians from Jaridharla in Cooch Behar district in West Bengal freely cross into Bangladesh everyday through the border without any obstruction to sell their farm produce and shop at Mughalhat Bazaar.
I come to Mughalhat Bazaar almost everyday to buy essentials, Moslem, a 65-year old Indian, said shortly after crossing into Bangladesh on June 2.
We come to Bangladesh to sell our rice, wheat and other farm produce as there is no market near Jaridharla, separated from the Indian mainland by the river Dharla, he said.
Replying to a question, he said the Border Guard Bangladesh personnel did not stop him when he told them that he was going to shop.
He said almost all the Indians in Jaridharla had to come to Mughalhat for their survival.
He said that the people across this border were traditionally attached to each other.
Moslem said that the people on the two sides have family ties.
However, unlike them, the villagers on the Bangladesh side of the border cannot cross into India out of fear of trigger happy Indian Border Security Force shooting at them indiscriminately.
The Indians, particularly the inhabitants of Jaridharla, can freely cross into Bangladesh without any obstruction from the BGB or the Indian BSF, farmers and shopkeepers at Mughalhat said.
Shahidul, 20, who sells flower, said, We are very familiar with the people in Mughalhat, particularly its shopkeepers, businessmen and farmers.
Carrying a shopping bag, 18-year old Rahmat Ali, said that he had studied up to Class VIII at a school at Mughalhat in Bangladesh.
He said he came to buy 10 kilogram of urea fertiliser, a pack of shampoo and a piece of soap.
He said, We always come to Mughalhat for shopping. None treats us as foreigners.
BGB commanding officer at Lalmonirhat Lieutenant Colonel Aslam Hossain said
BGB remains vigilant on the border and at times seizes contrabands like phensedyl and ganja from India.
Asked how the Indians freely cross into Bangladesh through the Mughalhat border without travel documents, he said one or two of them could stealthily do it from Jaridharla as it is very close to Bangladesh.
He said that the local Bangladeshis should be more alert about the infiltration as the police or BGB personnel cannot always differentiate between Indians and Bangladeshis.
He said that the Bangladeshis living close to the border should inform the police or the BGB whenever they see an Indian inside Bangladesh.
Lalmonirhat deputy commissioner Mokhlesar Rahman Sarker said that he was not aware about the Indians in Jaridharla freely crossing into Bangladesh.
He also said that a handful of Indian families, who live across the Mughalhat border, cannot enter into Bangladesh.
However, Rashidul Islam, a 25-year old Bangladeshi day labourer, said due to indiscriminate shooting by BSF, he no more dares to cross into India, as he once did, to buy cattle.
He said that drugs and arms smuggled from India continue to flood Bangladesh through this border.
New Age | Newspaper
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