As the legal cattle corridor between Bangladesh and Myanmar is closed, cattle are entering from Myanmar illegally by evading revenue. As a result, the government is losing revenue. As a result, thousands of people involved in animal import have become unemployed.
On the occasion of the holy Eid-ul-Azha, the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock closed the Teknaf Shahparirdip corridor on June 27, 2021. In this regard, people involved in the business have held human chains, and protest meetings, and submitted memorandums to various departments. Animal import from Myanmar has started since 2003. Since its inception, about Tk 4 crore taka of VAT and tax were paid regularly in a year by importing cows, buffaloes, and goats from Myanmar through this corridor. In addition, about Tk 2 crore of tax was paid in an additional two months during Eid-ul-Azha.
In this regard, Zubair, a cattle importer from Shahparidwip, complained that thousands of cattle are brought to Bangladesh every day from the areas near the 42,48,52,45 boundary pillars on the Bangladesh border in the Ghaznia and Naiksyangchhari hill areas. However, the government is being deprived of revenue due to the closure of the Shahparidwip legal corridor.
He further said that crores of taka have been invested in advance by us to import animals from Myanmar traders. To expand the said business, all of us traders take (CC) loans from banks and advance money was deposited in Myanmar to import animals. Suddenly, some dishonest cattle farmers who took fake loans from the bank, in collusion with the then in-charge Minister SM Rezaul Karim, MPs Bodi, Zafar Alam, Saimum Sarwar Kamal, provided false information to the cabinet ministry and closed the Shahparidwip cattle import corridor without issuing any notification, as a result of which we traders are unable to repay the bank loans and the bank authorities are trying to auction our movable and immovable properties. We have sent various letters, meetings, and letters to various departments demanding the opening of the said corridor. Therefore, we are strongly demanding the opening of the said corridor.
Another cattle importer, Alamgir, said that if the Shahparidwip corridor is opened, thousands of related family members in Cox's Bazar district, cattle breeders, workers transporting cattle here and there, and workers unloading animals from trawlers will be able to get two meals a day.
Now that the corridor is closed, they have also become unemployed and since there are no cattle farms in Cox's Bazar district, everyone is suffering from malnutrition and starvation. If the corridor is not opened, unemployment will increase day by day.
In this regard, Upazila Nirbahi Office Arif Ullah Nizami said that a letter has been sent to the higher authorities to open the corridor regarding cattle.
ZH
