The Soil Resource Development Institute has found adulteration in fertiliser sold by eight companies at Saturia in Manikganj. The Saturia agriculture office has since written to the companies asking them to withdraw the products from the market quickly.

According to the agriculture office, 16 samples were collected on 21 December 2025 from several fertiliser and pesticide shops in the upazila and sent for testing. The results arrived on 8 September and showed adulteration in products from eight companies. The samples came from nine shops, among them Alamgir Traders at Chartilli, Abdullah Enterprise at Char Saturia, Bari Enterprise at Kushtia bazar in Dargram, and Arif Enterprise and Pulak Traders at Baliati bazar.

The products identified as adulterated are Babylon Boron fertiliser from Babylon Agro and Dairy Ltd, Babylon Zinc Sulphate Monohydrate from Babylon Agriscience Ltd, Need Solubor from Need Agro Industries Ltd, Solid Zinc Mono from Agro Mine Ltd, Bijoy Zinc Sulphate Monohydrate from Hossain Enterprise, Mono Zinc Sulphate from Delco Agro and GB Zinc Monohydrate from Green Bangla Agrovet.

Saturia upazila has 37,474 farmers, who use these inputs on paddy, jute, potato, cauliflower and other vegetables. The laboratory report found the effective strength of the products far below what government guidance requires.

Mohammad Ali, a farmer at Baliati village, said: "About three hundred bighas are cultivated on my project. But when I grow a crop, the various fertilisers and pesticides I use no longer help the way they once did." A K M Nurul Haque, a farmer decorated with the President's Award, said he was the first to grow cauliflower in Horgoj union; the fertilisers of that time worked well, and those on the market now are of no use to a farmer.

Saturia upazila agriculture officer Tania Tabassum said 16 samples had been sent from nine businesses and that eight companies' fertilisers were identified as far below the required effective strength. Under section 17(2)(d) of the Fertiliser Management Act 2006 these count as adulterated fertiliser, and storing, buying or selling them is a punishable offence. The products were also found with several BADC dealers, who have been told to remove them.

Saturia UNO Kazi Mohammad Anik Islam said the firms involved in adulterated fertiliser would be brought under the law and their dealerships could be cancelled.

Source: Samakal (report by Md Jahangir Alam, Saturia, Manikganj)