Ahead of Eid, smuggling rings have increased their activities in the border areas of Sylhet. Targeting the country’s Eid markets including Sylhet, they are smuggling saris, three-piece suits, lehengas, thankas and cosmetics from India. Earlier, most of the smuggled goods were cows and buffaloes, sugar, hot spices and oranges. But as Eid approaches, clothes and cosmetics have been added to the list of smuggled goods. Earlier, various types of clothes and cosmetics were occasionally seized, but now huge consignments are being seized by the BGB and police. In the last one month, the BGB-48 Battalion and the Metropolitan Police have seized at least 50 crore taka worth of smuggled goods. Of this, information has been received that an average of crore taka worth of Indian clothes and cosmetics are being seized every day.

The increase in smuggling has reduced the import of Eid goods. Traders are commenting that the government is losing revenue due to this. Sources said that smuggling through the Sylhet border has been an ‘open secret’ for several years. Once upon a time, cows used to come through various points on the border of Jaintapur, Gowainghat, Companiganj and Kanaighat in Sylhet. Sugar smuggling was involved for two years. As the price of sugar in the country increased, sugar started coming freely from India every day. The smuggling ring started bringing sugar worth crores of taka every day by ‘managing’ the BGB at the border and the police on the roads. As the leaders and activists of the then ruling Awami League and its affiliated organizations were involved in the smuggling, Sylhet was flooded with smuggled goods.