18 workers die, yet coal smuggling continues

Eighteen Bangladeshi workers have died in the past year while crossing into Meghalaya to illegally collect coal from mines along the Tahirpur border in Sunamganj.

According to reports by Jugantor, Jamuna TV and other media outlets, as well as unnatural death case records at Tahirpur Police Station, the workers died after being trapped under coal, soil and stones in mine collapses.

The deaths occurred near the Lakma, Lalghat, Charagaon and Kalagaon border areas.

Lokman Mia of Lakma died in Meghalaya on January 11, 2025, followed by Rajab Ali on February 12. Nur Mia died in a mine collapse on May 5, while his son was injured. Mojibur Rahman died on April 16, 2026, and his teenage son was also injured.

The deaths have raised questions about who sends workers across the border and controls the illegal coal trade.

BGB 28 Battalion has conducted raids, seized coal and filed cases in the smuggling-prone areas. However, the trade continues through border roads and waterways.

Arresting workers and carriers alone will not break the network. The masterminds and those involved in collecting, transporting, storing and selling the coal must be identified.

There are also allegations that some importers help make smuggled coal appear legal by providing copies of old and new letters of credit. Claims that guards collect Tk 5,000 to Tk 10,000 from vessels to facilitate smuggling should also be investigated.

Police, BGB, naval police, customs and intelligence agencies need to work together to dismantle the network.

Eighteen lives have already been lost. The focus must now shift from merely seizing coal to identifying the masterminds and breaking the entire smuggling chain.

-AJM