Attack, vandalism halt production at Kazi Farms feed mill in Panchagarh

A feed mill belonging to Kazi Farms—one of the country’s major poultry enterprises—located in Panchagarh has been subjected to an attack, vandalism, and looting.

Following the incident, authorities were compelled to suspend the mill's operations due to security concerns, according to a press release.

Kazi Farms has stated that this disruption threatens the feed supply for approximately 3.5 million chickens across the northern region.

Last Tuesday (15 September) afternoon, three to four hundred people gathered in front of the feed mill located in Boda Upazila, Panchagarh, and staged a protest march while chanting slogans. At one point, they broke the factory locks, entered the premises, and engaged in vandalism. Three feed mill employees were injured during the incident. The attackers made off with various items from inside the factory, including computers and cameras.

Following the incident, the Boda Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO), the Officer-in-Charge (OC) of the local police station, and the Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) arrived at the scene and helped bring the situation under control.

The protesters demanded jobs for local residents and called for a halt to staff layoffs. Kazi Farms stated that a total of 370 workers are currently employed at the feed mill in Panchagarh. Of these, 135 are residents of Panchagarh, while the others hail from various districts across North Bengal, including Thakurgaon. No workers have been laid off from the feed mill in the past six months.

Kazi Farms operates a total of 43 poultry facilities in North Bengal, including 32 chicken farms. These establishments provide employment to approximately 5,000 people. The company's total investment in the region stands at around Tk2,000 crore, and initiatives are underway for further investment in the area.

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Gazi M Shamsuddin, CEO of Kazi Farms, said, “This feed mill produces feed for approximately 3.5 million Kazi Farms chickens. Following the attack, authorities were compelled to keep the mill closed for security reasons. If it cannot be made operational quickly, the poultry sector in North Bengal, including Panchagarh, could face significant losses.”

He further added, “We believe that some malevolent force might be behind such an attack. We seek the Prime Minister's intervention. In the interest of the country's poultry sector, we urge that the incident be investigated to identify the actual cause and those involved, and that steps be taken to promptly resume the feed mill's operations.”

If the feed mill's operations are not quickly restored to normal, the impact could extend beyond the company itself to affect the poultry sector in North Bengal and the associated farmers.