Farmers in Ulipur upazila of Kurigram district surrounded a sub-assistant agriculture officer on Friday evening (19 September), accusing officials and dealers of creating an artificial urea shortage in the middle of the Aman season. The confrontation took place at Gabtali bazar in Gunaigachh union; police arrived about half an hour later and escorted the officer away.

The protesters said dealers were not selling urea at the price the government has fixed, while retail shops in the same bazar were charging as much as Tk 50 per kilogram. Small and marginal growers, whose Aman fields need top-dressing now, are the hardest hit, they said.

One farmer who joined the protest said he had gone to the dealer day after day without getting a bag, yet the same fertiliser was available at retail counters for extra money. He alleged collusion between dealers and retailers and said agriculture officials might be involved.

According to local sources, sub-assistant agriculture officer Swapan Kumar was talking to a retail fertiliser shopkeeper at the bazar when farmers present recognised him, gathered on the road and began shouting slogans. He took shelter in a neighbouring shop until police brought the situation under control. Shawkat Ali Sarkar, officer-in-charge of Ulipur police station, confirmed the incident.

Swapan Kumar said he had reached the bazar at around 8 pm, was surrounded and abused by some of the farmers, and was rescued after about thirty minutes. He said field officers routinely visit local markets to record how much fertiliser farmers need and where, and that Friday's visit was for that purpose.

Ulipur upazila nirbahi officer A T M Arif said no fertiliser sale had been announced at the bazar that day; on hearing that farmers had cornered the officer, the administration sent police to bring him back.

Earlier the same morning, farmers in the district's Nageshwari upazila held another agriculture officer for about five hours over similar complaints of a fertiliser shortage and irregular distribution. The back-to-back incidents put Kurigram's urea supply chain under scrutiny at the point in the Aman season when demand peaks.

Based on reporting by Prothom Alo's Kurigram correspondent. Source: Prothom Alo