Local farmers in Meherpur’s Gangni intercepted an auto-van illegally transporting 20 sacks of fertilizer. After being alerted, a mobile court recovered the fertilizer and fined the auto-van driver Tk 1,000. The recovered fertilizer was later sold to local farmers at the government-set price.
The fertilizer was recovered Thursday morning, August 20, from Juginda Bazar in Dhankhola union, as the van was traveling from Dhankhola Bazar toward Azan.
Locals said a fertilizer shortage has recently emerged in Gangni upazila, forcing many farmers, unable to buy fertilizer at the government-set price, to purchase it from the open market at higher prices. Amid this, upon learning that fertilizer was being illegally transported, local farmers intercepted a fertilizer-laden auto-van at Juginda Bazar and alerted the upazila administration.
After being alerted, Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Nabid Hossain went to the scene and conducted a mobile court, recovering the 20 sacks of fertilizer. Auto-van driver Shahabul Islam was fined Tk 1,000 over the allegation of illegally transporting fertilizer.
Upazila Additional Agriculture Officer Arafat Mia said the recovered fertilizer was sold to local farmers at the government-set price. The fine collected from the auto-van driver would be deposited into the government treasury.
Expressing anger over the incident, local farmers said it must be ensured that government-allocated fertilizer is never diverted elsewhere, and that it reaches genuine farmers at the set price. They said administrative oversight on this needs to be strengthened further.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report