Dhaka, Nov 24 (IANS) Greater vigil by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) has curbed cattle movement that may cause a “famine” in Bangladesh ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, a media report said Tuesday.
Eighty percent of cattle sacrificed in Bangladesh during the festival come from India. But their arrival has declined sharply ahead of Eid this coming weekend, the New Age reported from Rajshahi that borders India’s West Bengal state.

This is thanks to the vigilance of the BSF, officials of the Indian force’s counterpart, Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), told media.

India alleges large-scale smuggling of cattle from its territory to Bangladesh, particularly ahead of festivals in which touts are involved on both sides.

People living along the bordering areas in Rajshahi said the BSF had sealed off at least 10 big cattle transit points. Some local cattle traders told New Age that the country might face an acute shortage of sacrificial animals on the eve of Eid-ul-Azha.

Sources at Sultanganj in Godagari, the largest cattle corridor of Bangladesh, said the customs department was receiving 2,500 to 3,000 sacrificial animals a day ahead of Eid as against 12,000 to 15,000 in the previous years, the newspaper said.