Farmers block road in Kurigram over fertiliser shortage; official confined for 4 hours

Farmers blocked a road in Nageshwari of Kurigram by placing tree trunks across it to demand fertiliser. As a result, traffic on the local Madarganj–Kachakata road came to a standstill.

During the protest, farmers confined an agriculture official who was at the scene to a dealer’s warehouse for nearly four hours.

The incident took place at around 8:00 am today, Friday, at Gabtala Bazar in Ballabherkhas Union.

The blockade was later withdrawn after the upazila administration assured the farmers that fertiliser would be supplied to them promptly. The agriculture official was brought out of the warehouse under police protection.

The farmers said fertiliser was scheduled to be distributed from 8:00 am today at Bhai Bhai Machineris, a fertiliser dealer point at Gabtala Bazar. When they arrived in the morning, they were told that the fertiliser had already been distributed and stocks had run out early in the morning. Angered by this, the farmers placed tree trunks on the road and blocked it.

The farmers also prevented Rafiqul Islam, an assistant agriculture officer of Nageshwari upazila who was present at the scene, from leaving the dealer’s warehouse. They said he would have to remain there until they received fertiliser.

Nageshwari Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mohammad Alauddin went to the scene at around noon after being informed of the incident. He spoke to the farmers and assured them that fertiliser would be supplied to them promptly.

The farmers then withdrew the blockade. Rafiqul Islam was brought out of the warehouse under police protection and taken away from the scene in the UNO’s vehicle.

UNO Mohammad Alauddin said, “We have assured the farmers that they will be provided with fertiliser. The assistant agriculture officer has also been rescued.”

Rafiqul Islam told Prothom Alo that fertiliser distribution began in Ballabherkhas Union in the morning. There were 80 sacks of fertiliser in the warehouse, and one sack was being allocated for every five farmers. At one point, the fertiliser ran out, while many farmers were still waiting outside the warehouse. After failing to get fertiliser, they blocked the road and confined him inside the warehouse.