Bangladesh sees opportunity in India’s cow vigilantism

GUWAHATI: Bangladesh sees an opportunity in cow vigilantism in India that has otherwise checked cattle smuggling to some extent to hit the neighbouring country’s

GUWAHATI: Bangladesh sees an opportunity in cow vigilantism in India that has otherwise checked cattle smuggling to some extent to hit the neighbouring country’s meat and hide-based economy.

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Cattle smuggling has not stopped along the 4,096 km India-Bangladesh border despite crackdowns by ‘gau rakshaks’ in the interior sand Border Security Force (BSF) personnel on the frontier.

But the illegal supply of cattle to Bangladesh – according to Dhaka-based researcher Sheikh Rokon – has almost halved from 21 lakh in 2013-14. The capture of over 140 smugglers in Assam, Meghalaya has largely contributed to this. The cattle industry in Bangladesh, which was worth $600 million last year, has taken a hit.

Editorial sin major Bangladeshi publications lauded the ‘Hindu nationalist’ government in India, particularly home minister Rajnath Singh, for the crackdown on cattle smuggling though it has had an economic impact in the Muslim-majority Bangladesh.

According to the Bangladesh Tanners Association, close to 200 tanneries suspended work due to lack of hides and some 4,000 workers were jobless. Beef exporters in the country too have cut down exports by 75% with price of cows increasing by 40-50%. Until India’s crackdown, slaughterhouses, processing units, tanneries and bone crushing factories contributed substantially to Bangladesh’ s economy.

Economists and farm specialists said the crackdown offers an opportunity for the local industry to expand. “We would rather prefer the Border Guards Bangladesh to stop smuggling of cattle from India. This will encourage Bangladeshi cattle farmers to cater to the local and international market,” Rokon said.