Teknaf, Bangladesh: Many cattle are being smuggled to Bangladesh from Burma through the transit points of border areas and water way by smugglers as they get more profit ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, the Muslims' great festival which to be held on December 9 to 11, said a cattle trader from Shapuri Dip on condition of anonymity. 

Those cattle are smuggled to Bangladesh from transit points of Shapuri Dip, Teknaf, Nilla, Whykhong, Rezu, Sac Dalar and Naikhonchari of Bandarban district and water way, he more added.

Cattle smuggling is being beefed up from Burma to Bangladesh since the beginning of December, ahead of Muslims' festival in Bangladesh. On 1st of December, an engine boat along with 72-cattle was seized by Burma's border security force (Nasaka) in the Bay of Bengal nearby Saint Martin while en route to Bangladesh.

On that day, at about 12:00 noon, 19 crew members including 7 Rakhines and 12-Rohingyas from Sittwee (Akyab), the capital of Arakan State, loading with 72 cattle in an engine boat was coming to Bangladesh. But on the way it was halted by Nasaka. Disregarding the halt, the smugglers went on their journey, so that the Nasaka fired to the engine boat and killed one cow and injured another one.  But all the Rakhine crew jumped into the sea and managed to escape and the remaining 12-Rohingya men were arrested by the Nasaka. The Nasaka sized the boat with cattle and handed over to the Nasaka Area No.7 headquarters of Maungdaw Township. The smugglers bought the cattle at the rate of kyat 600,000 to 7, 00.000 per head in Arakan State, said a cattle trader from Tha Yai Gone Tan village.

However, the following day, the arrested Rohingyas were set free.

Besides, the Nasaka forced the local villagers to exchange with their (Nasaka's) seized cattle with local villagers' cattle as the local cattle are smaller than the seized cattle. But, Nasaka asked villagers to pay extra kyat 300, 000 to 400,000 per head, said a local villager from Maungdaw. 

The cattle smugglers have only to pay Taka 500 to the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) as a tax per head (cow & buffalo) and also give Taka 300 per goat, said a close aide of BDR of Shapuri Dip. 

According to sources, the Bangladesh government does not get more revenue from the cattle, but get less as most of the cattle are being imported in illegal way.

Most of the cattle are supplied to Cox's Bazar and Chittagong by cattle traders for forthcoming festival, said local people.