Many Lalmonirhat smugglers now prefer vegetable farming

It used to be that Nabir Uddin's six bighas of land in Dighaltari village of Lalmonirhat's Aditmari upazila were permanently uncultivated. Like many border dwellers, the 48-year-old was convinced he could do better from smuggling. "About five years ago I was involved in smuggling goods from India, while my land was abandoned," he recalls, "but smuggling never brought peace to my family."

The switch to vegetable farming has not only brought a stable income but also respectability. "No part of my land is without vegetables growing these days," says the satisfied farmer, "My family is happy about it."

Soleman Ali, 50, of the same village, never used his four bighas of land for cultivation either. "I faced many problems when I tried to manage my family with income earned from smuggling," he recalls of the activity he gave up six years ago. "Smuggling never allowed me to help my family in the way farming vegetables does." With a more predictable, legal income source to rely on, Ali's family has not looked back.

In border communities across Lalmonirhat district vegetable farming has proved a trustworthy alternative to smuggling. According to an official of the agriculture extension department, over the past few years huge quantities of vegetables have been produced in the border areas, including cauliflower, cabbage, brinjal, pumpkin, potato, bitter and bottle gourds and chilli. Much is grown on land previously uncultivated thanks to the deceptive lure of smuggling.

First year Honours student Ashraful Islam of Chawratari village in Mogholhat union of Lalmonir Sadar upazila is pleased his father Ahmed Miah, 52, gave up smuggling four years ago. "My family's living standard has improved," he notes. "We always had seven bighas of land but it's only in the past few years we have grown anything. We used to feel worried and disappointed about what my father did, but not now."

His father agrees. "The whole family is happy now," he says, "The improvements to our living standard that smuggling promised were never really achieved. But vegetable cultivation has helped us."

Local chairman Habibur Rahman notes that vegetables produced in border communities are commonly supplied to Dhaka and across the country.

Meanwhile Shamsul Haque, camp commander of 15 BGB Battalion which is stationed in the area, expresses satisfaction that the majority of border dwellers have exchanged smuggling activities for vegetable farming.

"It's a really positive development," agrees Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila agriculture officer Enamul Haque, "Agriculture officials have provided advice and support in the transition to vegetable farming. It's good to see that for many, vegetable cultivation has become the preferred option."