More goods are being smuggled from Burma to Bangladesh for the Muslim Eid festival. Most of this is passing through illegal channels, said Kamal, a Bangladeshi resident living on the border.
“A group of syndicates from the Burma-Bangladesh border are smuggling many Burmese and Bangladeshi goods without the knowledge of authorities during the Ramadan month.”
The goods that are being smuggled from various areas of the Burmese border to Bangladesh include clothing, flashlights, sandals and drugs (Yaba). The goods being smuggled to Burma include kerosene, petrol, diesel, cooking oil, sugar, vermicelli and various vegetables, according to Shafi Ullah, a Teknaf based trader.
“We have to pay for sugar, onions, and cooking oil at high prices from the local market because these items are smuggled from Burma.” However the smuggling has decreased after security along the border has been tightened, according to BGB sources
Both border security and police stand accused of accepting payoffs from smugglers to turn a blind eye to their activities, according to Maungdaw civilian officer.
Burmese Rohingya are struggling to take part in both the Ramadan and Eid festiva. The majority of the Muslim residents in Arakan state have had their movements restricted. This leaves them no options but to buy smuggled goods at higher prices, the officer said.
