In Tarash upazila, known as Sirajganj's granary, dealers are accused of creating an artificial fertiliser shortage at the height of the transplanted aman season. Farmers say fertiliser is unavailable at the government price but can be had from dealers' stores for more money, while the upazila agriculture office says the dealers hold no stock.

Farmers say a ring charges Tk 300 to 600 above the government price per sack every aman, boro and mustard season. Belat Mondal of Penguari village in Baruhas union, who has planted aman on five bighas, said he paid Tk 1,880 a sack for TSP, Tk 1,650 for urea and Tk 1,500 for potash.

According to the upazila agriculture office, the government price for a 50 kg sack is Tk 1,350 for TSP and urea and Tk 1,000 for potash. Transplanted aman covers 1,005 hectares in the upazila this season. Fertiliser is meant to reach farmers through 12 BCIC dealers, 17 BADC dealers and 72 union-level sub-dealers; open-market sale is not allowed.

Md Masud Mondal of Asanbari has planted aman on 40 bighas but has not been able to fertilise any of it because of the shortage and prices. Abu Taleb Khan of Khanpara, farming more than 100 bighas, said he was being held hostage by dealers. Ittefaq's correspondent found about 1,000 sacks stored at Messrs Tanvir Enterprise, a BCIC-approved dealer at Binsara bazar, where fertiliser was still being sold above the set price.

Md Amiruzzaman, Tarash president of the Bangladesh Fertiliser Association, said fertiliser in a dealer's store must be sold at the government price, and hoarding it while claiming a shortage is a punishable offence. Abdur Razzak Raju, local convener of Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (SUJAN), called for raids, seizure and fair-price distribution, and cancellation of the dealers' licences.

A K M Monjure Maola, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Sirajganj, said specific information would be checked and action taken. Deputy commissioner Md Aminul Islam said the deputy director of local government and the Tarash UNO had been told to investigate on the spot and take quick legal action against those responsible.

Photo: Ibrahim Husain Meraj / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Source: Ittefaq