The New Nation - Internet Edition

ACCORDING to an estimate, goods worth some $1 billion on an average is smuggled out of Bangladesh every year. This estimate is perhaps, a conservative one. If the out-smuggling of goods was prevented the country could significantly boost its GDP revenues earnings. It is well known that fertiliser that Bangladesh produces and sometimes even imports for selling to farmers at subsidised prices, are smuggled out to neighbouring Myanmar and India. Thus, Bangladesh's agricultural sector suffers from under productivity due to fertiliser scarcity and the resources spent to produce or import them are found largely wasted.

Bangladesh produces huge hides and skins which reportedly get largely smuggled out. Fuel oils imported by Bangladesh and sold to users at subsidised prices, also get similarly smuggled out. A longer list can be made of the number of goods that are smuggled out and the losses thereof. In nearly all cases, the smuggling is due to higher prices of these commodities in the neighbouring countries where they are subsidised and, therefore, fetches handsome returns for the smugglers. But the moot point is, why the smuggling operations can succeed easily.

As it is, the number of policemen is not too small. Besides, there are the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) who are a large-sized force well trained to guard the borders and their duties prominently include anti-smuggling operations. The ansars, village defence parties and even the armed forces are also associated with anti-smuggling operations. Specially the BDR is reared in style to retain the motivation to guard the border against smuggling. The law enforcement bodies must train to work better and foil activities of smugglers.