Farmers take away fertiliser sacks from depot in Kurigram

Farmers took away over 100 sacks of fertiliser after breaking into a dealer’s warehouse, and another group of farmers blocked a road in Kurigram on Monday, as tensions run high over the ongoing nationwide shortages of agrochemicals.

Farmers alleged that they waited for hours in queue to get fertiliser supplies from a dealer at M/S Mita Hasan Enterprise, Bandaber bazar, Roumari upazila, Kurigram.

They claimed that they started lining up from 2am and continued waiting until 11am, before ultimately losing patience as the dealer was yet to arrive at the scene.

At one point, they broke in and forcibly took away fertilisers, confirmed the dealer, eyewitnesses and some farmers. When the report was being filed, police were yet to recover the sacks.

Elsewhere in Bhurungamari upazila of the district, another group of farmers blocked a road by setting fire on it, demanding adequate fertiliser supplies. They also kept the upazila agricultural officer besieged for some time.

Later police rescued him, said Bhurungamari Police Station Officer-in-Charge Azim Uddin.

Authorities stress supplies adequate

Eyewitness Asmat Ali and farmer Jalil Mia said a group of farmers broke the fence and the door of the warehouse before taking away sacks of fertilisers. Social media videos show some farmers taking away the sacks on vans, and others on their heads.

Police later brought the situation under control, said Roumari Police Station Officer-in-Charge Kausar Ali.

Dealer Md Matiar Rahman confirmed that the break-in took place, and said around 100-150 sacks were taken away. The exact number of stolen sacks can be determined after a thorough count, he said.

However, Upazila Agricultural Officer Mahbubul Alam Basunia denied any “break-in” or “forcible unloading” took place in the area. All the 42,000 farmers in the upazila have received adequate supply of farm nutrients, he added.

M/S Mita Hasan Enterprise Manager Saiful Islam alleged the farmers “lost patience during internal arguments over who would get the supplies first.” As they engaged in a scuffle, the dealership’s officials went to the police station and upazila nirbahi officer (UNO), seeking help.

Seeing officials absent, the farmers broke into the depot and took away the fertiliser sacks, he alleged.

There were 750 sacks in the warehouse, and after the “robbery,” the rest are being distributed under police protection, he said.

Abdullah Al Mamun, deputy director at the district office of Department of Agricultural Extension, also stressed that the supplies of fertiliser were adequate.

He alleged that temporary problems are being created in some places as farmers are hoarding additional supplies for future cultivation of corn and eggplants.