The Indian border stretches for 271 km through Jhenaidah, Jashore and Chuadanga districts. Law enforcers said gold is smuggled in various ways, such as hidden inside vehicles, inside the stomach or anus, tied to the body or kept inside the insoles of sandals or shoes.
The Chuadanga battalion of 6 BGB and Maheshpur battalion of 58 BGB guard the 113-km border in Chuadanga. BGB and police sources said they recovered 64 kg 848 grams of gold in 30 operations along the Darshana, Jibonnagar and Damurhuda borders between January 16 last year and March 8 this year.
The BGB seized 38 kg of gold from Maheshpur border areas of Jhenaidah in 2023. The upazila has a 57-km-long border with India.
The Jashore Battalion (49 BGB) and Khulna Battalion (21 BGB) are in charge of the border areas of Sharsha, Benapole and Chawgachha Upazila of Jashore. According to sources in the Jashore battalion, 27.8 kg of gold was seized from this area in 2023. The Jashore border is 101 km long.
Lieutenant Colonel HM Salauddin Chowdhury, who recently joined the BGB Maheshpur battalion (58 BGB) as commander, told Prothom Alo, “It cannot be said with certainty that gold smuggling has completely stopped, but there has been no seizure of gold since I joined. The BGB is performing its duties vigilantly.”