Dhaka, May 30 (UNB)-Home Minister Advocate Sahara Khatun on Sunday asked BDR and Coast Guards to remain on alert so no barbed wire fencing is erected inside the Bangladesh territory.

The instruction was given at the 47th meeting of National Smuggling Control Committee held at the Home Ministry with Sahara in the chair.

Briefing to reporters on the meeting Sahara said the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) who has been constructing barbed wire fence reportedly encroached inside Bangladesh in some places.

The BDR and coast guards were instructed to remain on alert in this regard, she said.
Sahara said the meeting discussed elaborately how to curb smuggling along the border as many goods, including contraband phensidyle, drugs and firearms have been smuggled into the country.

The Home Minister said the smuggling-porn areas along the borders have already been identified. The meeting asked the concerned authorities to take necessary measures to stop it.

Sahara said the meeting was informed that the smuggling goods are being frequently transported by trains. It decided to ask the Bangladesh Railway not to stop trains without designated stations.

The BDR, Coast guards and other law enforcing agencies carried out around 3,40,000 anti-smuggling drives across the country between August 2009 to April 2010.
During the period, the law enforcers seized smuggled goods worth about Tk 722 crore and 229 various types of fire arms. A total of 229 people were arrested in these connections.

The Home Minister said cases have been filed after seizing the smuggled goods across the country. The meeting decided to take initiatives for quick disposal of those cases.

She revealed that some 22,967 smuggling related cases are now pending for disposal of which 3,969 cases are under investigations.
“If necessary special mobile courts will be launched to hold instant trial of the smugglers”, the Home Minister said.

The meeting was attended, among others, by State Minister for Home Advocate Shamsul Haque Tuku, Cabinet Secretary M Abdul Aziz, Home Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder, Inspector General of Police Nur Mohammad, Director Generals of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR)and Coast Guards and concerned senior officers.