People of frontier villages in Rajshahi is keeping vigilance at the borderlines to check any smuggling of cattle heads and drugs ahead of the holy Eid-ul-Azha.
Along with the members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) people living at the bordering villages in groups were keeping watch at the open border areas round the clock.
All three sides of bordering village Charkhidirpur of Paba upazila of Rajshahi are surrounded by India. There is no barbed wire fencing along with the zero points of the borders of the village.
As a result, the village is highly vulnerable to the trespassing of smugglers to this village. To check any smuggling, villagers were guarding the routes connecting India so that no smuggler can enter the village with any smuggled goods like drugs and smuggled cattle heads ahead of the Eid.
The other village Char Khanpur is situated at the borderline across the river Padma under Paba upazila. The Border Out Post(BOP) of BGB is situated at this village.
BGB members keep strict vigilance to check any illegal intrusion of any smuggler at the village from India, at the same time, local people of the village are also keeping a regular watch at the borderline so that no one can enter the village with any smuggled goods from India.
The villagers have formed two teams, consisting of eight members each who keep watching at the border to check intrusion of any smuggler from India.
They were keeping the vigilance in coordination with the BGB. At night, the villagers watch the border with torches and stick in their hands. If they notice any suspected movement of any person at the border, they informed it to the BGB through mobile phones.
Villagers were happy that no one is being able to carry the drug or other goods from India due to watching of the borderline with the BGB while the BGB mentioned, their works have become hasslefree due to spontaneous participation of the villagers to watch the remote bordering routes across the village.
The BGB further said, if all bordering villagers participated in such watching of their borderline, it would be very easy for BGB to check smuggling and even to end the border killing.
Kohinoor Begum, resident of Charkhidirpur and Member of Harian union Parishad under Paba upazila informed the village is still free from Coronavirus, but, she added, if cattle heads entered from India, there is every apprehension to infect the village with the disease as well. As a result, in cooperation with BGB people of villages in groups were engaged in watching the border.
Shariful Islam of the village informed, the villagers used to earn their livelihood by cultivation of crops, fishing and rearing of cows and goats. The holy Eid-ul-Azha is knocking at the door.
If Indian cattle heads enter into the country, the price of locally bred cattle heads will also be decreased. The cow which we would be sold at Taka 80,000 will then not cost more than tTaka 50,000 that is why the villagers were keeping vigilance at the border to resist any entry of Indian cattle heads.
Rural Practitioner of Charkhidirpur village Parvez Sajjad informed, none of the residents of the village is now involved in drug trafficking. Some villagers who used to smuggle drugs from India have surrendered to the police two-year ago.
Later people of the village announced a resistance against drug trafficking and the village is now free from any sort of drug menace and drug trafficking. He added, had not the villagers come forward to cooperate BGB, it would not be possible for BGB alone to stop drug trafficking and smuggling in the border.
Lieutenant Colonel Ferdous Ziauddin Mahmud, Commander of BGB-1 Battalion, Rajshahi informed, there are four BOPs in Rajshahi to guard the bordering areas. In all villages under the BOPs, local representatives have formed one committee each.
Whenever BGB needs, the committee members spontaneously come forward to guard the bordering areas of the villages. Whenever BGB visit to one side of any village, the village committee keeps vigil to another side. The measure is not only stopping smuggling but also decreasing the border killing.