244 firing incidents by BSF along BD border last year

Firing of lethal and non-lethal weapons by the Border Security Force (BSF) along the Bangladesh border has remained consistent during the period from 2015 to 2021, The Indian Express reported on Monday quoting latest Indian Home Ministry data.

According to the data, there were 219 incidents of lethal weapon firing involving the BSF on the Bangladesh border in 2015, which has now increased to 244, in 2021. In fact, this was below 200 for only two years: 2017 (139) and 2018 (77). The year 2016 saw maximum lethal weapon firing incidents -- at 355, the news report said.

Similarly, firing of pump action or pellet guns, which the BSF uses to deter cross-border criminals, has also remained consistent during the period, it said quoting the data, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

According to the data, cattle seizures along the border with Bangladesh have dropped sharply over the past few years. Cattle seizures by BSF on the Bangladesh border were 20,415 till November 2021, compared with 1,53,602 in 2015.

Data from last seven years shows that 2018 was a turning point when cattle seizures dropped almost by 50 percent to 63,716 compared with 1,19,299 in 2017. The numbers dropped sharply over the last two years -- 46,809 in 2019, and 20,415 in 2021.

The BSF has acquired more speedboats to chase smugglers transporting cattle through the rivers. It has also taken coercive action through lethal and non-lethal weapon firing on such trans-border criminals.

The Indian Express, quoting sources in the BSF, said there were, however, other reasons for the drop in cattle seizures.

"Earlier, after we seized cattle, it was handed over to customs authorities who auctioned them. The auctioned cattle would most often be bought by the same smugglers who brought them back to the border. This pushed up seizure numbers," a senior BSF officer was quoted by the newspaper as saying. In 2018, such auctions stopped.

"Local police were supposed to take possession of seized cattle, but they did not cooperate. So, the BSF took care of the seized cattle with the help of some NGOs and then gave them away to cow shelters. BSF has had to bear expenses, but this brought down seizure numbers," the officer explained.

The sources said Bangladesh is ramping up its own dairy sector over the years and developments in the hinterland, which restricted transportation of cattle to the border -- also resulting in a decline in cow smuggling.