BSF-BGB Public Feud: Indication of Greater Conflict?

Cattle smuggling from India to Bangladesh is a very old known phenomenon.

But this month, the way in which the two countries' border guards have publicly accused each other of being partners in the smuggling is rare.

Whether the sacrificial cows were sacrificed, or whether such sacrifices were tantamount to animal cruelty - the statement raised an unprecedented number of questions raised in Bangladesh by an Indian defense force like the BSF.

In this way, the former head of the Border Security Force of Bangladesh, Lt. J. (Retd) Moinul Islam told the BBC that he was surprised to see one force blaming another for being involved in smuggling.

"The BSF has not blamed anyone but the entire army in the neighboring country. It is as unusual as it is unjust. As a result, I think it is appropriate for the BGB to issue a counter-statement.''

How the feud started

Cows are at the heart of the conflict on both sides of the border.

The quarrel started on July 6 when BSF's South Bengal Frontier DIG SS Guleria issued a statement on cattle smuggling ahead of Eid.

The BSF statement accused the BGB of aiding and abetting the smuggling.

At the same time, the statement said, the manner in which cows were brought to Bangladesh from India for sacrificial purposes was tantamount to animal cruelty and questioned whether the cows were sacrificed at all.

Two weeks after the BSF's statement, the Bangladesh Border Security Force (BGB) issued a counter-statement on Sunday, alleging that the BSF was behind the smuggling. The statement said, "Indeed, the BSF's inaction in gathering cattle on Indian soil in border areas through Indian smugglers and smuggling cattle by river undoubtedly raises various questions."

The BGB vehemently protested the BSF's question of animal cruelty with sacrifices, saying such statements were "insulting to Eid al-Adha and an extreme blow to the religious sentiments of Muslims."

Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, July 5, 2019.

Trying to create stress?

Lt. J (Retd) Moinul Islam thinks that the BSF's "unusual" statement on cattle smuggling, issued on July 7, cannot be given by the force alone and that the political decision of the Indian government is behind it.

"Disagreements at the border is a routine issue and is solved locally. Attempts are made to resolve serious disagreements at the diplomatic level, but this is not the case here ... especially talking about religion has been very unreasonable. "

"I don't understand why the Indian government went to all these things with a Border Force!"

General Islam suspects that India may be trying to put pressure on Bangladesh to remain silent on the situation arising out of the Sino-Indian border dispute.

"None of India's neighbors have spoken about the Sino-Indian border conflict. India may not have taken it well ... it was maybe trying to create pressure. "

Indian Army on the Ladakh border

It is undeniable that South Asian countries, including Bangladesh, are trying to maintain a neutral position on the Sino-Indian border dispute.

While the Bangladesh government issued a statement expressing its immediate condolences over the death of an Indian soldier in a militant attack in Pulwama, Kashmir, Dhaka was silent on the death of 20 Indian soldiers in Galwan.

Many observers feel that the role of neighbors is a source of frustration between the Indian government and a section of Indian socio-politics.

Archana Chowdhury and Bibhudatta Oradhan wrote in a commentary in the American magazine Bloomberg, "If Narendra Modi had hoped to get support from his neighbors in times of danger, he was wrong. While the United States or Britain have expressed sympathy for the deaths of their troops, traditional allies Bangladesh and Nepal have remained silent."

According to the report, Narendra Modi's second term in office has "instilled fear, suspicion and uneasiness among his neighbors in his hardline Hindu nationalist agenda."

Cows seized by BSF at Siliguri border in West Bengal

It is a well-known fact that Bangladesh is not at all happy with the NRC and religion-amended citizenship laws in India.

'India does not want to lose Bangladesh'

However, Sanjay Bhardwaj, a professor of international relations at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi, told BBC Bangla that he did not think India would put much pressure on Bangladesh to take sides in the Sino-Indian conflict.

"I believe the BSF's statement on cattle smuggling has nothing to do with the broader policy of the Indian government. "Since the BJP came to power, they have been talking openly about reducing cattle smuggling ... Cattle smuggling is a business for many, like ten other businesses, but for many, cattle is a religious belief."

He said Indian policymakers understood the reality that small countries would remain silent in the face of the two big regional powers.

Border guards patrolling.

"The smaller countries in South Asia may be happy with the Sino-Indian dispute. They feel that China is challenging India's monopoly in South Asia, and they see it as an opportunity to strike a balance with India."

''It was seen during the Cold War. It's a very normal mentality, and I think policymakers in India understand that."

Professor Bhardwaj said China was indirectly helping to strike that balance.

He thinks that even if India expects loyalty from a country like Bangladesh at this time, it will not take the risk of putting pressure on Bangladesh.

"India will not take any risk of losing Bangladesh now.

Moreover, India's concerns about Nepal or Bhutan as a "buffer state" with China are less than those about Bangladesh or Sri Lanka.

In addition, according to Professor Bhardwaj, India is still reluctant to engage in a full-blown conflict with China, and "India still sees China as an opportunity for economic development."

"India wants good relations with the United States out of security concerns, but India is still reluctant to be a client state of the United States. And that is why India is still reluctant to fully join the Indo-Pacific alliance.''

China striking balance

However, many analysts believe that if the border dispute with China continues, India will be forced to join the US-led anti-China alliances more closely. At the same time, the policy of their foreign and strategic relations will change.

For small South Asian neighbors like Bangladesh, it may be difficult to stay neutral.

However, in an interview with Hong Kong's South China Morning Post, Zhang Jiaodong, a former Chinese diplomat and lecturer at Fudan University in Beijing, said smaller countries were leaning towards China for fear of Indian monopoly in South Asia, but that did not mean they had to stay in a camp.

"As long as there is a balance of power between China and India, small countries will have the opportunity to take separate positions. They cannot be taken by force. "

Source: BBC Bangla
Translation: Apurbo Roy