Administration officials and the agriculture department raided the warehouses and sales centres of two fertiliser dealers in Dinajpur’s Khansama upazila over allegations of excess stockpiling and irregularities. Separate raids led to fertiliser being seized and the dealers fined, with one warehouse sealed.
On Friday, a raid was carried out at the warehouse of Messrs Mahadeb Traders in the upazila’s Pakerhat area. Officials seized 450 bags of fertiliser from the warehouse of BADC fertiliser dealer Mohitosh Chandra Chanda, including 300 bags of MOP purchased by the Noapara Group and 50 bags of MOP and 100 bags of DAP belonging to the BADC group. A mobile court fined the dealer 40,000 taka over the matter, and the warehouse was sealed.
A raid was then carried out at BCIC-approved fertiliser dealer Messrs Asaduzzaman Traders in the upazila’s Tonguya Bazar, where 207 bags of fertiliser were seized, including 94 bags of DAP, 55 bags of urea and 58 bags of MOP. The mobile court fined this dealer 50,000 taka.
The separate mobile courts were conducted by Khansama upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) and executive magistrate Kamruzzaman Sarkar, and district administration assistant commissioner and executive magistrate Adnan Kabir Uday. Upazila agriculture officer Yasmin Akter and other officials were also present.
UNO Kamruzzaman Sarkar said the seized fertiliser would be confiscated in favour of the state and sold to local farmers at government-fixed prices. “Regular monitoring of dealers’ warehouses and sales centres is under way to ensure farmers get fertiliser supply at the right price and at the right time,” he said. “Any dealer or trader who stockpiles fertiliser beyond the approved limit to create an artificial shortage, or who harasses farmers, will face strict action under the law.”
A mobile court had separately filed a regular case against BADC fertiliser dealer Mozaharul Islam in Khansama on Thursday over allegations of excess fertiliser stockpiling, seizing 920 bags of fertiliser from his warehouse.