After a truck carrying 420 sacks of TSP fertiliser was stopped in Jhenaidah, the upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) gave its owner seven days to submit valid papers for the cargo. Yet when the truck was stopped, the driver could not show any valid challan for the fertiliser. The owner of the truck and the fertiliser, Shovon Mia, even admitted to local people that he had been supplying fertiliser illegally and promised not to do so again.
Given this, giving the owner seven days to submit valid papers after the truck was seized for illegally carrying fertiliser has raised questions about the administration’s role.
After a string of cases of illegal stockpiling and transport of fertiliser in the district, local people have begun stepping in. They allege that irregularities in fertiliser marketing are growing because of a lack of timely, effective action by the administration and a syndicate of dishonest traders. Although there is no shortfall in supply, flaws in distribution mean genuine farmers are not getting the fertiliser they need. This lets dishonest traders create an artificial shortage and damage the government’s image.
Local people stopped the truck at about 7:30pm on Tuesday (10 November) in the Cadet College area of the Jhenaidah-Kushtia highway. The truck’s number is Rajbari-Ta-11-0141. It had been loaded with 420 sacks of TSP fertiliser at Noapara in Jashore to be taken to Kushtia. Growing suspicious, local people stopped the truck and asked the driver for the papers for the fertiliser. But the driver could not show any memo or valid challan. The driver and his helper then fled.
Eyewitness Sajjadul Islam said that after the truck was stopped, the deputy commissioner, police and the agriculture department were informed. But although the scene was inside the town, it took the administration’s representatives about two hours to arrive. This angered local people. The truck was in the custody of detective branch members in the town’s Arappur area until 11pm. It was then taken to Jhenaidah Sadar police station.
District Jubo Dal leader Sajjadul Haque Milon, who was at the scene, said local people stopped the truck in front of the Cadet College on a tip-off about fertiliser smuggling and told them. When they went to the scene and asked the driver for the fertiliser’s papers, he could not show them. The truck held 420 sacks of TSP fertiliser. They, together with truck workers’ union general secretary Majedul Haque, informed the officer-in-charge (OC) of Sadar police station and the superintendent of police.
Sajedur Rahman Milon, a member of the district truck owners’ association, said he went to the scene on hearing the news and saw the fertiliser-laden truck that local people had stopped. He alleged that dishonest traders are buying and selling fertiliser illegally to damage the government’s image, and demanded swift legal action.
Meanwhile Shovon Mia, owner of the truck and the fertiliser, admitted to local people that he had supplied fertiliser illegally. “Supplying illegal fertiliser was a grave mistake on my part,” he said. “The fertiliser was loaded and sent from Noapara’s Meghloy Ghat by a man named Sourav. I will not commit such an offence again.” After saying this, he slipped away in the crowd. In other words, while admitting to supplying fertiliser illegally, Shovon Mia claimed it had been loaded and sent by a man named Sourav.
The administration’s decision to give seven days to submit valid papers, despite the fertiliser owner’s statement and his escape from the scene, has been questioned.
Sadar upazila nirbahi officer Dipa Rani Sarkar said the truck and the fertiliser are being kept at Sadar police station. The owner has been given seven days to provide valid papers. Action will be taken afterwards according to the rules.
Kamruzzaman, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Jhenaidah district, said local people stopped the fertiliser-laden truck and handed it to police. Agriculture department officials went to the scene afterwards. If there are no papers for the fertiliser, it will be taken into government custody.
Asked why the owner was given time to submit valid papers after the illegal fertiliser was seized, he said: “Why are you asking me? The upazila nirbahi officer and the Sadar agriculture officer will look into it.” Unwilling to talk further, he hung up.
Earlier, on Monday (9 November), there were allegations of fertiliser being illegally stockpiled in two trucks at Dugdugi Bazar in Madhuhati union of Jhenaidah Sadar upazila.
Local people allege that although they told the upazila administration and the agriculture department, no effective action was taken at once. They say representatives sent by the administration went back without taking any action. Later, at about 9pm, local people stopped the two trucks as the stockpiled fertiliser was being moved away in secret.
Such back-to-back cases of fertiliser stockpiling and transport in the district have raised questions about the oversight of fertiliser marketing. Local people allege that because the administration takes no effective action against the fertiliser syndicate, dishonest traders are free to stockpile and transport fertiliser illegally. As a result, genuine farmers are being denied the fertiliser they need even though supply is normal.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report