NEW DELHI: At a recent meeting between senior officials of the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Border Guard Bangladesh, the two sides expressed their concerns over illegal trade across the frontline between the two countries. Officials further added that the Indian side raised concerns about cattle smuggling, whereas the counterparts from Bangladesh highlighted the issue of Hilsa fish smuggling.Since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in the neighbouring country, the two border guarding forces – the BSF and the BGB – have stepped up their surveillance along the frontiers to not only prevent human trafficking but also illegal trade of cattle and Hilsa fish across the borders.The officials said that the BSF has been keeping a close eye to prevent the smuggling of cattle into Bangladesh and has passed on instructions to ground forces to patrol round-the-clock. Reciprocating the Indian stance, a source said, the BGB has stepped up their vigil to prevent the illegal smuggling of Hilsa fish.Considered the King of fish, Hilsa has a unique taste that has captured the imagination of people living in the bordering states of India. The scant availability of the fish in India makes it very costly with a price range as high as Rs 2,500 per kilogram.Incidentally, the Hilsa of Bangladesh are considered tastier as they are primarily fished from River Padma, which happens to be a sweet water breeding area.
Source link
