Ruling party men reopen Putakhali smuggling route?

Efforts by BRD and police to stop the illegal activities bear no fruit because of them.

Smuggling through the border point remained closed since the change over of power after the October 2001 parliament election. But two influential persons of Putkhali village reopened it recently by exercising their political influence, local people and sources in BDR claimed.

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Because of the illegal trade, the government is being deprived of huge revenue.

The goods smuggled in include automobile parts, motorbikes, by-cycle, sugar, saree, salt, heroin, wine, opium, VCD, phensidyl, cows, fruits, sanitary materials, stainless steel materials, electronic goods, firearms, explosives.

The goods smuggled out include gold bar, copper, brass, zinc, gas cylinder, palm oil, soyabean oil, diesel, toilet soap, cigarette and mosquito curtain cloth.

The sources also claimed that illegal cross-border movement of people including women and children and trafficking to India is continuing through the Putakhali border point adjacent to Benapole.

Taking the advantage of their political influence, the leaders of the smugglers' gangs also ensure safe passage of smuggled goods to different areas of the country by hiring trucks, it is alleged.

BDR at times conducts raids and recovers smuggled goods, but these are a very small fraction of the total smuggled goods, the sources said.