Would you believe that they do it in broad day-light? And the border guards and local police stand as onlookers!

With the local police station only 250 yards away, their men were hurriedly carrying sugar packs from nearby houses and godowns to the trucks.

dent watched that the trucks were being loaded with Indian sugar at 11 in the morning in the old bazar area of Birampur. one of the bordering thanas of Dinajpur.

Local people say three thanas of the northern district of Dinajpur -- Birampur. Hakimpur and Phulbari — nave become a heaven for the smugglers. Some 30 to 40 metric tonnes of sugar are being trans-Birted every day to the capital haka from the Birampur area only, say smugglers, quite innocently.

One of them claims they pay the local police more than six

lakh taka a month. The amount was less than a lakh when they had first struck a deal with the police more than 10 years ago.

Among the beneficiaries are local political leaders, according to local people. "Who doesn't get a share?" asks a young man.

"We are paying more than six lakh taka to the Birampur thana for one month to ensure a safe transportation of sugar." said one in the trade.

Some 40 of them have invested one crore taka in this illegal business.

Local administrators are helpless watchers. "How can I stop it alone?" says Birampur Thana Nirbahi Officer (TNO) Amlnul Islam. He believes strong initiatives from local people could help a lot.

Sometimes the "black" sugar becomes "white" when Bangladesh Rifles organises auctions for the sugar they seize from time to time.

And one "aucUon paper" is enough for them to get away with 10 times at different check posts.

The auction paper is important to us because we can take sugar to Dhaka and Chittagong with that paper." said another smuggler.

To check the illegal trading is not my business. Police and BDR personnel are there to see to it/ said Mostaflzur Rahman MP of the ruling party. He was tn Birampurlast monthtbattend a local AL meeting.

Birampur thana AL president Delwar Hossain Master reacted angrily when asked about the issue. We cannot talk to you. we are in an important meeting. You are a reporter, collect information from wherever you can," he said

Do poliUcal leaders have a role to play to build a corruption-free society? Delwar Hossain would not reply. "Make an appointment with me next

time." he said, denying any involvement of the AL leaders In the illegal business.

Journalists of Birampur Thana Press Club alleged a group of local reporters were also involved. Mohammad Selim. president of the unregistered press club, said he and other rebel" reporters came out of the Birampur Press Club to protest the unlawful acUvities. They formed another.

Selim said some journalists were getting a piece of the cake along with police. Tapan, general secretary of the breakaway press club, told The Dally Star tnat he and Selim had become the target of Birampur thana because of their protest.

"Police tried to involve me in false cases many times, but a senior district level police officer saved me." Selim said.

Educated youths are frustrated. "Smuggling is destroying our national economy," said a young college teacher. He

however wouldn't suggest a sudden stop to the business fearing It could lead to an increase in other crime incidents.

Md Saiful Islam, the second officer at the thana, said police alone could not control smuggling. "We need mass mobilisation programmes to make people realise the Impact of smuggling on the economy."

Islam denied any wrongdoing by police. But when this correspondent referred to claims by some that police were being paid to keep mum. he said. "Why do the smugglers come to us ? We do not invite them to visit us!"

Islam said police had nothing to do unless somebody filed a case or a general diary with the thana.

But the reality is that no one dares to file such complaints because "smugglers are ferocious".

They will behead me if I lodge any complaint." said a

shopkeeper. A local Journalist was attacked by the hired hooligans last December when he wrote a story on smuggling. Md. Harunur Rashid of the Dhaka-based Sonali Barta was beaten severely by a gang. Rashid filed a case against a gang of five. The accused are out on bail and threatening Rashid.

Local Jotdars (landlords) said there was an acute crisis of day-labourers in the area. Most of the previous workers have been involved in smuggling. They each earn several hundred taka a day now.

The high cost of labour has taken its toll on the farming community. Six months back, farmers had asked the local administration for a moratorium on smuggling until their plantation was completed. The local municipality made it. and the farmers paid high wages to the labourers to make them work in the paddy fields.