Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized Indian goods worth Tk 957.13 crore between January and October 15 this year in operations by 13 battalions against smuggling, drugs and other border crime.
Lieutenant Colonel Hasibul Islam, commander of the Feni Battalion (4 BGB), gave the figures at a media briefing hosted by the battalion on Sunday afternoon (October 18).
He said 211 border outposts of 13 battalions, under four sectors of BGB’s Sarail region, keep round-the-clock watch and patrols along about 1,204 kilometres of border. Hard work by the members, intelligence work and continuous operations had brought significant success, he said.
“From January to October 15 this year, operations by the 13 battalions of the Sarail region recovered 11 pistols, seven air guns, five pipe guns, 62 rounds of cartridges, 19 kg of high explosives, 117 detonators and 77 metres of detonator wire,” he said. “In anti-drug drives the 13 battalions also seized 340,815 yaba tablets, 14,967 kg of cannabis, 63,755 bottles of foreign liquor, 16,680 bottles of Phensedyl and cough syrup, and 432,510 other intoxicating tablets. Legal action has been taken against 333 people arrested in that time.”
“BGB has also had success against illegal stone and sand extraction, protecting natural resources,” Lt Col Hasibul Islam said. “These operations seized 16,800 cubic feet of stone and 8,200 cubic feet of sand.”
He said security had been tightened in the Feni battalion’s area for Durga Puja. “From October 16 to 22, five platoons of BGB have been deployed, with a base camp set up at Parshuram Box Mahmud High School,” he said.
The battalion is also running regular patrols and intelligence surveillance, identifying possible risks and coordinating with the local administration, police and puja celebration committees to ensure overall security. It is keeping a close watch in particular on rumours, provocative statements and attempts to stir communal tension.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report