Fewer African love birds in B'desh on V-Day this year, courtesy BSF

Kolkata, Feb 14 Several 'love birds' of the human kind in Bangladesh may have been deprived of their favourite gift on Valentine's Day this year, thanks to alert troops of India's Border Security Force (BSF).

On Monday, troops of the 112th Battalion of the BSF, South Bengal Frontier, nabbed a smuggler with 40 African love birds that he was attempting to take across the border into Bangladesh. While trading in African love birds isn't illegal within India as it is a non-native species, wildlife trafficking across the border is banned.

African love birds are natives of Africa and are named so because of their affinity to pair up within a short period of time. Their price in India can range from Rs 1,200 to Rs 24,000 a pair, depending on the colour.

Medieval belief is that February 14 is the day when birds choose their mates and this has a link to modern Valentine's Day traditions. Hence, African love birds are often offered as Valentine's Day gifts.

On Monday, the E Company of the 112th Battalion, also known as the Naga Battalion, posted at the Amudia border outpost in West Bengal's North 24-Parganas district, received intelligence reports of an attempted smuggling.

At around 4.10 p.m., BSF personnel spotted a person moving suspiciously across their area of domination. On being challenged, the man tried to flee but was apprehended. He was carrying 40 African love birds to Bangladesh. During interrogation, he revealed that his name is Ohidul Shaikh (50) and that he is a resident of Kalia village in Bangladesh's Narail district.

Ohidul had apparently been offered Rs 1,400 to sneak across the International Border (IB), collect the consignment of birds, and return to Bangladesh. It is estimated that this single consignment could have fetched several lakhs in Bangladeshi Taka ahead of Valentine's Day.

Unfortunately, Ohidul is now likely to spend time behind the bars in India. He, along with the birds, has been handed over to the forest department in Basirhat.

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