Just before his retirement, the then BSF chief UK Bansal in November 2012 had made some observations about the Indian Border Security Force’s policies, and gave solution to the unabated killings and torture of Bangladeshi people along the border, especially of the large number of so-called cattle smugglers. The most important thing he said rationally was: “Legalise cattle trading!”
Hence, the BSF men every now and then opened fire on them – beyond international border laws that mention arresting first and then handing over the accused to a police station.
It’s also shameful that this proposal was made to stop the killing of “cattle smugglers” – under the circumstances that the victims of BSF’s extrajudicial killings were mainly the small traders for who it is a profession to only collect the cows from the Indian side, and transport them inside to reach the middlemen or wholesalers.
As per the ever-increasing local demand for beef, Bangladesh fails to meet the demand with domestic cows raised and sold round the year by farmers. Even the butchers mix buffalo meat with the beef, since it’s been a profitable business. The price of beef has increased threefold in the past decade.
A remarkable trend of consuming more beef among both Muslim and the non-Muslim communities and the spread of diverse recipes are other reasons behind the rise in demand.
The demand rises to its peak during the Eid festivals, especially Eid-ul-Azha, when hundreds of thousands of cows are sacrificed as part of the Muslim culture. Even though the local farmers raise an additional number of cows centring this Eid and feed them well to increase their weight faster – sometimes use steroids – the country still can’t meet the demand.
On the other hand, India has a huge population that raises cattle and sells them to Bangladeshi traders through the borders illegally, in relatively lower prices than Bangladeshi cows.
But it would have been a blessing for Bangladesh had the Indian side legalised cattle trading, which has been considered as a criminal offence for decades.
Killing of Bangladesh nationals along the 4,000km border with India has been a common phenomenon, as if the two countries are dire enemies, and that infiltration of Bangladeshis is alarming for the authoritative Indian administration.
The two countries have some common problems along the border, including insurgency, smuggling of arms, gold and fake currency, illicit drug factories and smuggling, and human trafficking.
However, media reports suggest that incidents of arrest or unlawful shooting on the people involved in these serious crimes have been nominal.
Allegations say BSF men in patrol along the fence or at the camps allow all illegal acts in exchange for bribes. Small cattle traders are subjected to shooting and torture mainly because of dodging the security forces.
Following every such incident, the Bangladesh Border Guard protests, holds flag meetings to claim bodies of the victims – whether the victim is a cattle trader, farmer, or trespasser, and in return, has always been assured of checking the deaths in future. BSF officers defend the shootings by saying that they just retaliate – a statement commonly given by elite force RAB in cases of “shootouts.”
The BGB personnel could be involved in irregularities too. But there is no record of BGB shootings and killings or torture of Indian nationals for illegal entry in Bangladesh, or for carrying out other illegal acts.
The Indian side in the last few years has several times assured that they would show restrain and use non-lethal weapons. It gives an impression that the Bangladesh side failed to compel India to follow the international border laws. But still, the incidents of killings and torture by the BSF have not stopped.
It implies that the BSF has no system to convey the message of using non-lethal weapons to all the camps simultaneously. Or, they just do not bother following what they have pledged to the Bangladeshi ministers.
It’s also frustrating that Bangladesh government high-ups are reluctant over the deaths along border – mostly of the cattle smugglers, apparently because it is a crime in the first place to cross the border in an unauthorised way and bring something in without paying taxes. The most insensitive comment was made by Awami League General Secretary Syed Ashraful Islam: “Border killing took place earlier, it is happening now, and will continue.”
Moreover, complacency of the Bangladesh government and the BGB over the “decreasing number of deaths” encourages the Indian BSF personnel and its government to continue the extrajudicial killings, torture, and abduction of people along the border.
There are also allegations that the BSF men often cross the borders to arrest alleged criminals, or to erect fences or establishments. It’s outrageous.
Even though deaths of Bangladeshis could number over 1,500 over the last 15 years, it should be mentioned that the Indian side has so far taken action against its unruly BSF men in one incident: Eight jawans were suspended for torturing a cattle trader at a camp in December 2011 allegedly for refusing to pay a bribe. Video footage of the incident was aired on Indian NDTV the following month. The 23-year-old victim was given Rs50,000 as compensation.
And in the much-hyped killing of Felani Khatun while crossing the barbed fence in January 2011, the BSF authorities arranged a trial – an unprecedented move – in August last year. But it failed, since the self-confessed constable had been acquitted last year because of “inconclusive and insufficient” evidence against him.
Both the governments in bilateral meetings devise plans and make decisions to demolish insurgents’ camps along border, bust phensidyl factories and heroine consignments, stop trafficking of women and children, and stop the smuggling of gold and arms.
Though the governments claim to be successful in checking these activities, it is worrying that top Bangladeshi criminals facing arrest warrants, or after getting bail, easily manage to reach India through the border.
Well, let’s focus on the topic: Legalise cattle smuggling.
We need more beef – apart from raising more cows and taking initiatives to improve local beef, we need to import more cows from neighbouring India by decriminalising the trading. Bangladesh should bargain to keep the tax rate lower so that the small traders can continue business.
It’ll stop the arbitrary killings and torture of the so-called cattle smugglers, whereas both the governments would be able to earn a lot of money from taxes. And, if the cattle smuggling still continues, the BSF men must arrest the unauthorised traders or hand them over to the police station for action as per the law.
