Cattle smuggling across the India–Bangladesh borders has beena longstanding practice in the region, predating the formation ofBangladesh. The flow of cattle is directed from Hindu-majority India towards Muslim-majority Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan). The cross-border cattle trade, deemed illegal by the Indian government but officially accepted by the Bangladesh side, gradually encountered greater physical obstructions with India’s erection of border fences since the 1990s. This border transformation re-organised cattle smuggling, directing cattle’s mobility towards specific border corridors – non-permanent and flexible.Examining trading practices in the bordering district of Jashore, Bangladesh, this photo essay argues that cattle markings have had an intrinsic connection to cattle mobility across and within borders. The photographs utilised in the essay illustrate that markings on cattle have served as a significant indicator not only of the dynamic mobility of cattle in the region but also of the involvement of multiple stakeholders at various stages in the trading process. Additionally, the recent evolution of marking practices in response to changing border dynamics is represented.
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