BSF Thwarts an attempted Cattle smuggling along Bangladesh Border
Cooch Behar
Amidst multiple injuries to four BSF personnel of Guwahati Frontier, deployed on the Indo-Bangladesh border, under Sector HQ Cooch Behar, in Talai, troops displayed sheer professionalism in successfully thwarting an attempt of trans-border cattle smuggling but also showed a human approach by timely evacuating an injured Bangladeshi cattle smuggler, injured in restrained BSF firing, to the hospital and saving his life on 15 Mar 2016.
The incident took place at about 10.30 AM, in the fenced border of the area, along the river Kaljani, which also had few unfenced patches, created due to erosion of the river bank, when cattle couriers from Indian side tried to exploit this patch for smuggling few cattle heads to Bangladesh.
This was immediately detected by the BSF patrolling party in the area, which rushed to the spot to intercept the smugglers and the cattle-heads. On seeing the BSF party, the smugglers abandoned the cattle heads and jumped into the river Kaljani. There was a build-up of Bangladeshi smugglers on the Bangladesh side of the border too. When the associates of the Indian cattle
smugglers, who had jumped into the river, saw BSF troops efforts to nab them, they, in large numbers, illegally crossed the IB and surrounded the BSF troops. The BSF troops challenged them to go back but being highly outnumbered, they were attacked and assaulted by the Bangladeshi cattle smugglers.Four BSF jawans sustained severe injuries in the scuffle. Sensing imminent threat to each BSF jawans life and govt property, one jawan was asked to fire one round to disperse the smugglers. However, as the jawan was getting ready to fire, he was pushed and heckled, due to which the round that he fired hit one Bangladesh national on his pelvic part. Immediately after the firing, the other Bangladeshi smugglers fled from the spot. Eight cattle heads, meant to be smuggled to Bangladesh, were recovered from the spot.
The injured BSF jawans immediately evacuated the injured Bangladeshi cattle smuggler namely Ali Hussain, of Dhakiyapara village in Char Bhurangamari are under Kurigram district. They were given first aid at BSF Camp and the Bangladeshi smuggler was further referred to MJN Govt Hospital in Cooch Behar. Later doctors referred him to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri, where the injured smuggler is recuperating well. The timely evacuation of the injured Bangladeshi smuggler by the injured BSF personnel saved his life. BSF not only prevented trans-border smuggling but also played a crucial role in saving his life. However, besides lodging FIR at PS Dinhata, a strong protest is being lodged with CO 45 Border Guard Bangladesh for this grave border violation by Bangladeshi nationals.
In yet another incident, on 16 Mar 2016, two Indian cattle smugglers were apprehended by BSF troops deployed in Old Dewaner Alga under Dhubri Sector at about 05.15 AM alongwith 38 cattleheads. They were later identified as Amir Hussain and Sahad Ali who are both residents of Muharichar in Dhubri district of Assam. The arrested smugglers were later handed over to PS Hallidayganj for further legal action. In another incident one Indian cattle smuggler was apprehended by BSF troops of Shyamganj area under Sector HQ Coochbehar in the early hours of 17 Mar 2016. His identity has been established as Mainul Hussain of Jagirwalbari village under PS Dinhata, in Coochbehar district. Five cattleheads were also seized from the area.
