The price of sugar is increasing in the domestic market of Bangladesh, leading to a rise in unauthorized and unofficial sugar smuggling. Members of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been intercepting these illegal shipments. In the last two months alone, the BGB has seized over 500,000 kilograms of smuggled sugar, reported Bangladeshi media.
As per news report by Bonikbarta.net, most of the illegally imported sugar originates from the Sylhet and Feni border regions. With sugar prices high in Bangladesh, the trend of illegal imports has surged. Smugglers often conceal the sugar under loads of sand or husk, and with the assistance of local influential figures and some officials, this sugar is distributed throughout the country without paying customs duties. Authorities suspect that several times more sugar has entered the domestic market than what has been confiscated at the border.
While there were some instances of sugar seizures in the first half of this year, they were minimal. However, in just August and September, a total of 507,465 kilograms of smuggled sugar were seized. Of that amount, 391,343 kilograms were confiscated in August, and as of the end of September, 116,122 kilograms had been seized. Most of the smuggled sugar was taken from the Sylhet and Sunamganj border areas, with some also intercepted in Feni during distribution.
Regarding the broader situation, Md. Shariful Islam, public relations officer of the BGB headquarters, stated, “We have recently seized a significant amount of smuggled sugar in the border areas, with most of these seizures occurring in Sylhet and Sunamganj. The largest quantities of smuggled sugar have been confiscated in August and September. Prior to this, only isolated shipments were caught, and their amounts were minimal.”
