Fertiliser dealers in several parts of Faridpur district are accused of charging Tk 500 to Tk 600 more per sack than the price fixed by the government. Farmers say the overcharging comes with a second problem: dealers will not hand over a cash memo when asked, which leaves buyers with no proof of what they paid.

The farmers put the complaint in writing to the deputy commissioner (DC) on 7 September. The petition asks the district administration to keep fertiliser supply normal, ensure sales at the fixed price, investigate on the ground and take the necessary action. A list of the complainants' names, mobile numbers and signatures is attached.

According to the petition, fertiliser is selling at Tk 10 to Tk 12 a kilogram above the official rate in Chandpur union of Faridpur Sadar upazila, Talma in Nagarkanda, Jahapur in Madhukhali, and Satoir, Dadpur and Ghoshpur unions in Boalmari, among other areas of the district. That adds Tk 500–600 to the cost of each sack. The farmers say they raised the matter verbally first and turned to the administration only after getting no redress.

The missing receipts are, in the farmers' view, what makes the practice hard to challenge. They have asked that the dealers' sales and stock registers be checked on site alongside their cash memos, so that actual selling prices can be set against recorded stock.

The petitioners argue that production costs are already high because of rising input prices, and that having to buy subsidised fertiliser at a premium would push marginal and small farmers into acute financial distress. They want a swift field investigation followed by legal action against those found responsible.

The complaint matters beyond Faridpur because subsidised fertiliser is sold at a government-fixed price: a Tk 10–12 premium per kilogram means part of the subsidy is captured by the seller rather than reaching the farmer, and without a cash memo the farmer has no way to prove it. A written, signed petition from farmers in four upazilas is a signal worth watching for growers and administrators in other districts too.

Source: banglanews24