Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has intensified patrols and surveillance along different border points in Benapole and Sharsha, under the jurisdictions of the Jessore-49 and Khulna-21 battalions, to prevent push-ins, smuggling and illegal export of rawhide that the ritual of sacrifice yields during Eid-ul-Azha.

The information was confirmed on Thursday by Commanding Officer of Jessore-49 BGB Battalion Lt Col Golam Mohammad Saiful Alam Khan and Commanding Officer of Khulna-21 BGB Battalion Lt Col Nafiz Imtiaz Ahsan.

The BGB officials said adequate numbers of sacrificial animals are slaughtered every year across the country during Eid-ul-Azha and border forces remain on maximum alert to ensure that animal hides are not smuggled into India after the festival.

They said awareness campaigns, including miking in border areas, have also been arranged to alert local residents.

The officials added that BGB has been holding regular border conferences with India’s Border Security Force (BSF) over cross-border crimes, including push-ins, leather smuggling, drug trafficking and other forms of smuggling.

“To curb all kinds of border crimes, patrol activities have been strengthened across the frontier areas,” they said.

According to BGB sources, heightened security measures have been taken along several vulnerable border points across the 102-kilometre Benapole and Sharsha, identified as possible routes for leather smuggling.

The identified points include Kashipur, Shalkona, Shikarpur, Dhanyakhola, Raghunathpur, Putkhali, Daulatpur, Sadipur, Ghiba, Goga, Rudrapur, Agrabhulot, Panchabhulot and Dadkhali.

In response to concerns raised by leather traders, both BGB and police have been placed on alert in the identified areas, the officials added.