Farmers break into fertiliser dealer’s warehouse in Rowmari, protest in Bhurungamari

Angry farmers allegedly broke through the fence and door of a fertiliser dealer’s warehouse and took away fertiliser after distribution was delayed in Bandaber Union of Rowmari upazila, Kurigram.

The incident took place at the warehouse of Messrs Mita Hasan Enterprise at Bandaber Bazar on Monday morning.

The dealer claimed that between 100 and 150 sacks of urea fertiliser were taken from the warehouse. However, Rowmari Upazila Agriculture Officer Mahbubul Alam Basunia denied that any fertiliser had been taken.

He said the video showing fertiliser being looted was fake and that no such incident had taken place in Bandaber Union. There are 42,000 farmers in Rowmari upazila and all of them are receiving fertiliser properly, he said.

On the same day, farmers blocked a road in Bhurungamari after alleging that they had not received fertiliser according to their requirements. They also kept the upazila agriculture officer confined for some time.

Several local farmers said they began arriving at the warehouse and queuing up from 2:00 am as fertiliser was scheduled to be distributed at Bandaber Bazar on Monday. However, as distribution had still not begun by morning, frustration grew among them. At one point, several farmers broke through the corrugated-tin fence and door of the warehouse, entered the premises and took away fertiliser between 9:00 am and 10:00 am.

A video circulating on social media shows several farmers breaking through the warehouse fence and door and taking out sacks of fertiliser. Some carried the sacks on their heads, while others took them away by van. Police later arrived at the scene and brought the situation under control. The fertiliser taken away, however, was not recovered.

Saiful Islam, manager of Messrs Mita Hasan Enterprise, told Prothom Alo that there were 750 sacks of fertiliser in the warehouse and around 1,000 farmers had queued up to collect it in the morning. When pushing and jostling broke out over who would receive fertiliser first, they went to the police station and the upazila nirbahi officer’s (UNO) office to seek help in controlling the situation. Taking advantage of their absence, farmers broke through the warehouse fence and door and took away between 100 and 150 sacks of fertiliser.

Saiful Islam also said the remaining fertiliser in the warehouse was being distributed with the assistance of the police and administration. The exact number of sacks taken away would be confirmed once the distribution records had been reconciled, he added.

Rowmari police station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Kawsar Ali said the police had not been informed about the fertiliser distribution that morning. The agriculture department later informed them that angry farmers had taken away several sacks of fertiliser. Police were subsequently deployed at the scene.

Fertiliser distribution began in the Sonahat area of Bhurungamari upazila on Monday morning, but farmers complained that they were not receiving enough to meet their requirements.

At one point, the angry farmers blocked the road by setting fire to objects on it. When the upazila agriculture officer arrived after being informed of the situation, angry farmers confined him. Police later rescued him.

Bhurungamari police station OC Azim Uddin said farmers had been protesting over fertiliser in different unions of the upazila almost every day. In some places, they had also blocked roads. Police had to respond daily to bring such situations under control, he said.

The OC also said such problems could have been reduced if the agriculture department clearly communicated how much fertiliser was in stock and what the farmers’ demand was.

The agriculture department was saying that there was sufficient fertiliser, while farmers were blocking roads because they could not obtain it, disrupting other police operations, he added.

Abdullah Al Mamun, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in Kurigram, claimed that there was sufficient fertiliser in the district.

He said temporary shortages were occurring in some areas because farmers were stocking up on additional fertiliser for early-season maize and brinjal cultivation. Efforts were being made to distribute fertiliser through better coordination, he added.

Earlier on Sunday, angry farmers vandalised a dealer’s warehouse at Kachakata Bazar in Nageshwari upazila after alleging that fertiliser distribution had been delayed. Farmers also staged a road protest in Bhurungamari that day demanding fertiliser. Similar road blockades were reported in Lalmonirhat.

On 23 August, farmers broke through the fence of a dealer’s warehouse at Dhaldanga Bazar in Shilkhuri Union of Bhurungamari upazila and took away 225 sacks of fertiliser. They later returned 115 sacks following assurances from the administration.

Following that incident, Messrs Shah Amanat Enterprise, a fertiliser dealer at Dhaldanga Bazar, faced allegations of failing to provide fertiliser to farmers on time and discrepancies in cash memos. The firm was subsequently served with a show-cause notice.