The appointment of 31 new fertiliser dealers in 29 unions and two municipalities of Thakurgaon's four upazilas is under question. Local fertiliser traders allege that the list includes wives, children, brothers and relatives of political leaders, that 26 of the 31 had no business before, and that many lack a warehouse of the required size. The fertiliser management and monitoring wing of the Ministry of Agriculture published the final appointment notice on 4 November.
In Pirganj union the dealership went to Shabnam Mustari Sinthia, a student at a private university in Dhaka, whose father Mamunur Rashid is general secretary of the union BNP and a madrasa lecturer. The allegation is that influence was used to get the dealership in his daughter's name; contacted by phone, Mamunur Rashid declined to comment. Twenty-eight of the new dealers are alleged to be linked to the BNP and two to the Awami League.
Under the policy, a dealer in urea, TSP, DAP and MoP fertiliser needs a valid trade licence, bank solvency of Tk 500,000, an income tax return and a warehouse holding at least 25 tonnes. Complainants say many of the new dealers had no tax papers, and some had no bank account before the notice.
Fertiliser trader Joynal Ali of Botoli Bazar in Ranisankail said genuine traders were left out because unqualified people were picked on party lines. Abdul Wahab, who has sold fertiliser in Bhanor union of Baliadangi for 27 years, did not get a dealership and alleges corruption in the process.
Those named deny wrongdoing. Nazma Parvin, general secretary of the district Mohila Dal, appointed in Bhaturia union of Haripur, said she applied on the strength of her family's long business and was appointed after scrutiny. District BNP general secretary Paygam Ali said the party had no influence. Abdus Salam, MP for Thakurgaon-2, said the process went through the UNOs and the deputy commissioner and he had no role.
Deputy Commissioner Mohammad Rafiqul Haque, who chairs the district fertiliser and seed monitoring committee, said upazila committees screened the applications and made recommendations in line with the policy after consulting elected representatives, and the district committee did not change them; no complaint of irregularity has reached him, and action will follow if one does. Md Mazedul Islam, the committee's member secretary and deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension, said the agriculture department had no comment.
The report is samakal's.
Source: samakal
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